When Ice and Lava Meet
by year of the snake
Summary: In a time when war has only been going for two generations and all the world is in turmoil. Aang and his mentor and a small group of people escaped the raids on the Air-Temples and are living in hiding. We look in on the lives of the fugitive Royal Katara
1. Helping the Wanted

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Air-bender, the very talented team of Mike and Brain own the show and characters. The rating maybe wrong but I did try to get it right.

By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescentmoon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.

Toph _age: _15-16 _hair: _Black _eyes: _Light Green

Katara _age: _18 _hair: _Brown _eyes: _Blue

Aang _age: _16 _hair: _Brown or Bald _eyes: _Grey

Zuko _age: _20 _hair: _Black _eyes: _Gold

Iroh _age: _68 _hair: _Grey Bald on top _eyes: _Gold

Suki age: 19 _hair: _Auburn _eyes: _Blue-Green

Sokka age: 19 _hair: _Brown _eyes: _Blue

Fire Lord Ozai _age: _47 _hair: _Black _eyes: _Gold

**When Ice and Lava Meet**

**Chapter One**

Katara sat down and stared at the Blind Bandit. The Blind Bandit was just a little girl of fifteen, drawing near sixteen, and she truly was blind. Yet she was the current rising criminal of the world. She didn't know how this young girl did it.

The Blind Bandit cheated cheaters and she was now lying across the table in her dinning room with her feet burned horribly. The Blind Bandit was a Robin Hood of sorts, she did keep some of the things she acquired but then she was the first to say she wasn't a saint.

Katara was surprised earlier that evening when she found a girl scurrying on her hands and knees trying desperately to escape someone behind her. Katara sensed the need of the girl and jumped in with some water bending action before she could even think that she was suppose to be living incognito in the Fire Nation as a peasant. It wasn't fair. Katara would have to move again. She just couldn't not help someone who needed it. She froze the tormenters turned victims to the wall facing the walls they were attached to, in the hopes that maybe they couldn't identify her.

Then Katara picked up the girl and ran off as fast as she could. The sound would draw soldiers, and then she would be in deep trouble. Katara brought the younger woman home and placed her on the table. It was when she got a good look at her outfit that Katara knew who it was. The Blind Bandit, a curse in the Fire Nation and she had rescued her. As if she didn't have enough to worry about being a hidden royal. They would be putting each other in more danger.

Katara had been a peasant-princess in her own land, the Southern Water Tribe. A peasant-princess is a princess truly but everyone in a tribe like the Southern Water Tribe does the work that needs to be done, everyone helps everyone else, thus everyone is equal, everyone is a peasant. The Fire Nation attacked her homeland half a year before and she and her people had to split and flee to survive. She hadn't seen her father, the Chief, since he and most all the warriors of her tribe left to help fight the Fire Nation when she was eleven, now she was a woman of eighteen.

This is how she ended up staring at a blind woman who tricked tricksters, who stole from thieves and who was now unable to walk. This is how a peasant-princess named Katara ended up healing a runaway rich girl who called herself The Blind Bandit.

Katara let water surround her hands and then let them glow with the healing ability that was the compassionate core of her being. Using the water she accelerated the healing. The fresh burns and blisters began to recede and vanish. But it would still take at least a week for the Blind Bandit to walk. And they would have to leave before then. They would have to leave in an hour at most.

"Why are you helping me? You do know that if you're caught sheltering me you will be imprisoned and put to death after a show trial don't you?" The Blind Bandit said.

"Yes I know. That is why we will have to leave town tonight, soon. I will be back; I must pack what I can." Then Katara rushed out of the room and into one of the other two rooms. The dinning room was the front room of the house, and then came both the kitchen and a small bedroom. It was an extravagant house for a refugee but Katara managed to afford it. You see when she first came to this town she had nothing but the clothes on her back, she had had to leave what little she had gained in her last Fire Nation home when she was attacked by Fire Nation assassins. After living on the streets for weeks and being so hungry her own arm was starting to look good she decided to try her hand at getting a little money by pretending to be a fortune-teller. And she lured a rich man to allow her to read his fortune. A few days later he tracked her down and provided her with this house and everything in it, if she would tell only his fortune. He was impressed with her as her fortune telling came true for him. So she agreed. Now she would have to leave what little comfort she had in this tiny home for an uncertain future.

Katara threw together her meager possessions in a pack. She put on a cloak and brought another one to the Blind Bandit. She lifted her again. They left out the back door and took back and side roads out of town. Katara had to rest often with the load of a nearly full-grown woman weighing her down. They continued stop and go until they came to the river the town was built beside.

Then Katara took a longer rest. They would travel by water after dusk. She would construct an ice raft and they would float away. As her brother would say to her, 'Things are never that easy for us.'

The men she froze to the wall and fire-bending soldiers who got them down had raided her house and some soldiers scoured the town while others came outside of the town to look for them. Katara could hear them approach. Making the raft now would be a mistake. Her only hope was to face the coming men as far away from the water as she could get them and hopefully deter them. Then she could come back and still make the raft and float them down river without the Fire Nation knowing what direction they went.

Katara ran through the forest until she met the men. "That's her, that's the water-bender!" cried a shivering man. The moon rose just at that moment, it was near full. Katara smiled this would be easy. The men would find why they should never attack a water-bender when the moon is round. Katara drew water from her water pouch and the grass under her feet. The water ball she made was so gigantic that the inexperienced fire-benders became nervous. Their leader yelled at them to stand their ground that they had her outnumbered.

Yes she was outnumbered, but they would be exceedingly more than outmatched in the moon glow. The water Katara controlled bombarded them like fireballs in their training matches but this was breath-stealing. Some of them got the air knocked out of them, others were brought to there knees and still others were bashed into trees. The battle was over seconds after it began. Innocent Katara in an effort to buy time solidified the water to their bodies sealing them where they stood, kneeled or laid.

Returning to the spot she left the Blind Bandit Katara wasted no time getting an ice raft made and moving the sulking woman onto it. The Blind Bandit hated that she couldn't participate in the fight.

Katara made the block of ice move faster than the water surrounding it using water-bending. They passed two other groups of buildings before Katara decided to stop bending the water and just let the freezing raft float on its own.

The Blind Bandit was wrapped in Katara's sleeping bag and sitting on top of the stuff Katara had packed and she was still shivering because of the cold early spring night air and the block of ice that just made things cooler. That and Katara had her keep switching having her feet in the bag and then out of the bag and against the ice to help soothe the burn sooner. Katara had little problem with the cold, she came from the snow-blown south pole after all.

"Hey," the Blind Bandit's teeth chattered as she began, "why are you so willing to leave your home to help me?"

"That was not my home. It was just a place I was living." answered the water-bender.

The Blind Bandit could tell that she didn't want to talk about it and so out of thankfulness for her unasked for help she didn't pursue the conversation.

Later that night Katara moved them off the water and into the forest. The sun was nearly rising and Katara longed for sleep. The Blind Bandit fell asleep even though she was "turning into a blob of ice covered woman." as she so delicately put it.

Katara moved them as far away from the river as she could and then she collapsed into a dew covered field.

627627627627627627627627627627627627627627627627627627627627627627627627627627627627627627

Hey everyone! This is the first chapter of my first real written Zutarian effort. =D I don't know how I got the idea. If this sounds like a story you read before it is purely accidental as I rarely ever read fan fiction. Anyway I wanted to get this up on my birthday but my birthday was a Saturday, one of the busiest days for me. That and my birthday is always a why did I even consent to waking type day. So I'm putting it up now.

Please let me know what you think. Thanks for reading. Type again soon I hope.


	2. The Earth Tells Her So

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Air-bender, the very talented team of Mike and Brain own the show and characters. The rating maybe wrong but I did try to get it right.

By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescentmoon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.

**When Ice and Lava Meet**

**Chapter Two**

This field was owned by an old couple and their adult children. Katara and the Blind Bandit were found in the field by one of their sons, a sixteen year old boy. They lived on the outskirts of a huge Fire Nation city called Aoi Falls. It got its name because past the other end of the city there were two waterfalls that supplied large blue pools. This son was amazed to find two beautiful women, one burned and both exhausted and dirty asleep in the part of the field that he was supposed to begin aerating today.

One of the women had black hair that had fallen lose of the binding that was dangling in it. Her face was delicate looking, a face that could challenge any aristocrat in beauty. She had long bangs covering half her face but the main body of her hair went to her thighs. The black haired woman was petite and pale, even paler then him. Even with being so pale she didn't look sickly, she looked very healthy in fact. She was in a sleeping bag with the bottom rolled up to reveal two burned feet.

The other woman was tall and thin with thick, messy brown hair and creamy dark skin. Her face was just as aristocratic as the other woman's but was differently boned, she looked slightly less delicate then the smaller woman.

Both women were wearing dirty red clothes.

The black haired one stirred at his approach. It was almost like she could feel him coming. But that was impossible, wasn't it?

Suddenly he commenced slipping into the ground, like it was wetter then it had ever been, but it was nearly completely dry. Then just as suddenly when he was buried to mid-thigh he stopped sinking and the black haired woman stopped all movement.

He had to scream to get some help. His family came running. They noticed him first and began laughing. But they soon noticed the two groggy girls as they sat up. There was a twenty-four year old man and his twenty year old wife, a twenty-two year old man and his wife, a twenty one year old woman and her husband, a nineteen year old girl and her suitor along with an old man.

"Who are these people Aang?" asked the old man.

"I don't know," said the brown haired boy. "Will you guys please get me out of the ground?"

Katara looked at the Blind Bandit. This had to be her doing. She had heard rumors that the girl was an earth-bender, maybe they were actually true. The Blind Bandit didn't look at all fazed by the commotion of a boy being stuck in the ground.

While the younger people were helping the boy out of the ground the old man turned to them. He asked them, "Who are you and what are you doing in my field?"

"I'm Jen and this is Mai Ling." Katara lied for them. She had used both cover names before and knew them to be popular Fire Nation girl names.

"Jen and Mai Ling huh? And what are you two girls doing here?"

"We were driven from our home by bandits and became so tired that we stopped here to rest. I'm sorry if we caused you trouble we will move on soon." Katara or 'Jen' continued.

"You're friend's feet are pretty badly burned. You can stay here until she'd healed if you'd like." the kind old man said.

"That could be dangerous for you and your family. The gang is sure to come after us. It would be very risky for us to stay here."

The father continued, "We can take the risk. You should stay here as long as you can, we'll protect you if it comes to that."

'Jen' opened her mouth to protest some more but she was cut off by 'Mai Ling'. "Jen, I think it best if we accept his offer. After all there is not much we can do to fend off our attackers with me wounded and you barely able to stand for exhaustion." the Blind Bandit reasoned.

Katara was surprised at how gently she suggested it, not in her usual manner of ruff requests. Katara agreed that it was foolish to keep moving at their slow pace, if their pursuers caught up to them with her exhausted and the Blind Bandit unable to stand they would be dead or captured in minutes, more likely seconds. So she said, "Mai Ling is right. We will accept your offer. Thank you."

"Aang will you carry Miss Mai Ling to the house?" 'Mai Ling' looked unhappy with the indignity of being carried by the skinny farm boy. "Will you be able to walk Miss Jen?"

"Yes," said 'Jen'.

The old man grabbed her pack surprised by how empty it felt. He and his family escorted them to their two story farm house.

When they entered the house they were greeted by a woman who must have aged like wine, for she was old but beautiful and she looked to hold knowledge that doubled her age. "My, what have you got there?"

"My dear, we found these travelers in our field. They were chased from their home. One of them is injured."

"Oh that's terrible!" exclaimed the woman. She came over and began to fuss over the 'pour children'.

"My dear, I'm sure they're tired. How about you allow them to get some rest?"

"Oh you are right. But before that we best introduce ourselves. I am Lily-Lee."

"You are right. I am Gyatso. These are Lily-Lee and my children. Pasang, Malu, Yangchen, Ming and Aang. Pasang's wife Ta Min, Malu's wife Ilah, Yangchen's husband Chey, and Ming's beau Ruon-Jian." Each of the people introduced waved or said something to the effect of hello when their name was called.

Aang had yet to put 'Mai Ling' down. But he wasn't told where to put her either.

"Aang you take that pour girl in to the back room and lay her on the bed. I will be in with some herbs in a minute." his mother said.

"Yes mother."

"You might as well join them my dear. You look dead on your feet." Lily-Lee resumed conversation.

"Thank you." said Katara. She went after the woman she had just met the day before and her escort.

Aang made it to the bed and placed the young girl on it. It was then that he noticed the strange color of her eyes, the way they were practically pupil-less. They were light green and they were piercing. He felt like every beat of his heart could be seen by those eyes. In response his heart pulsed harder, and it was already doing double-time because he had to carry the woman.

Normally the Blind Bandit would make a sarcastic comment as with her heightened senses she could feel the blood attacking his veins at high speeds. He was vibrating with each beat of his heart. If she wasn't blind then she wouldn't be able to tell but being blind and an earth-bender she could. Maybe she'd still make a sarcastic comment, after she had healed a bit so if the family threw her out she wouldn't be a big burden, or at least not have as long to heal. But oh how the sarcastic things she could say nagged at her brain, they cried to be said.

Katara walked in to see Aang staring at 'Mai Ling'. He had let her go, but he was not far away from her. Aang was still leaning over her. 'Mai Ling' said, "Is there something you wanted Aang? If not stop hovering over me like a rabbit-hen over her chicks." She really did try not to say anything sardonic to the host family, but she really didn't have much practice in keeping her mouth shut lately.

Aang reeled back. 'That was unexpected.' he thought. "I-I-I-I-I'm sor-sorr-sorry. I'll just go see what mother is doing." He turned to see 'Jen' standing in the doorway, or more like swaying in the doorway. Aang quickly explained that she could take the bed next to 'Mai Ling's'.

Katara nodded as he ran past her. The unfortunate boy was embarrassed. Katara entered the room sending small shockwaves that the Blind Bandit picked up by placing her hand on the dirt floor. So it came as no surprise when 'Jen' collapsed she knew it before it even made a sound.

"Jen!" 'Mai Ling' hollered like she was concerned. She wanted to make sure someone came to help the older girl. The girl didn't even stir.

At the loud thump and even louder call the owners of the house came running. The first two people had to jump over the fallen girl because they didn't expect her to be where she was and didn't have time to stop.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Lily-Lee.

'Mai Ling' answered, "I don't know. I think she may just be beat."

One of the sons moved her to a bed, and then they all had to go back to the field daylight stuck around for no man.

The old woman checked them over. They were both fine, excluding being overly tired and 'Mai Ling's' burnt feet. She put stinky herbs on her feet and then left the room to let them rest.

The girls stayed in this kind family's home until the Blind Bandit's feet were healed. Then they decided to move on. They'd stick together at least for now. They decided to try their luck in Aoi Falls.

629629629629629629629629629629629629629629629629629629629629629629629629629629629629629629

Okay because of overwhelming number of reviews (It wasn't overwhelming it was just two! *Shut it! That's the most I've had for a first chapter in a while.*) I have decided to put the next chapter out now. =D

Those reviewers were ArrayePL and Kaydreams from fan fiction (dot) net. Thank you both. And Kaydreams said she/he couldn't wait to see how I introduced the other characters… Did Aang's introduction meet your expectations? I hope it did. =D Again Thank you both! I loved both of your reviews. They made me happy and a happy writer is a more able to write writer. Hehehe!

Thank you everyone who reads this. Oh and if you want to be mentioned you must review/comment.

Quick Fact 1: I only made up three names for this chapter, Jen, Lily-Lee and Mai Ling. The other names are all either from the Air Nomads or the Fire Nation.

Quick Fact 2: Half of Lily-Lee and Gyatso's children have Air Nomadic names the other half have Fire Nation names. And ALL of their children's wives/husbands/beaus have Fire Nation names.

Quick Fact 3: None of Lily-Lee and Gyatso's children are actually theirs. The one's with Air Nomadic names are actually Air Children they rescued and the ones with Fire Nation names are orphans they found after coming to the Fire Nation.

Quick Fact 4: Lily-Lee and Gyatso are married and lived in the Air Temples when they were young children.

Quick Fact 5: Lily-Lee can't air-bend.

I hope to get the next chapter out soon. Please review. Bye!


	3. She Stepped Out of Fog

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Air-bender, the very talented team of Mike and Brain own the show and characters. The rating maybe wrong but I did try to get it right.

By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescentmoon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.

**When Ice and Lava Meet**

**Chapter Three**

The Blind Bandit went straight to work. She found crooked street game owners and used her earth-bending to cheat them out of their ill-gained goods. In this business Toph heard about many different thieves who targeted the pour and the worst ones weren't the ones that she could get at very often. They were the ones who stole in the name of the Fire Lord. Those rich people who got richer by stealing taxes among other things from those less fortunate then themselves. There were so many of these types in this city. They were gaining excess off the backs of the pour and it made the Blind Bandit sick. Even worst there was little she could do about it and that made her angry, very angry.

The Blind Bandit used some of the money she got from her scams to rent a crummy, tumble down apartment so they wouldn't have to live on the streets. Katara didn't like the scams but what could she do? And most all the money went to those who needed it so she didn't complain much.

One day a few weeks after moving to Aoi Falls there was commotion outside their apartment. It was one of their neighbors. Her husband had died fighting for the country, for the Fire Nation, leaving her with four kids under four and little else. Now the tax official was taking everything she had left aside from her kids because he claimed she didn't pay her taxes but she had and they both knew it. Even the soldiers with him knew it, but they didn't care, this woman was a nobody and had no one to stop them.

The Blind Bandit and Katara wanted to rush out there and stop them. The only reason they didn't is because they couldn't afford to draw attention to themselves.

"Isn't there anything we can do to rectify this horrible situation?" Katara asked.

The Blind Bandit thought about it. Then said, "There is nothing I can do but you can. You can steal the things back for her."

"What!?! Me!?! Why me?"

"Katara, I do not see well on wood floors. I have to be right up close to something to see it so I could get hurt or caught. And wood floors can make me clumsy as well but you are light, graceful and can see without your feet. You can get in and out without being caught."

"But what if someone sees me I don't want to reveal my identity to people."

That is when the Blind Bandit knew that Katara would do it. Katara would take up the life of a thief. "You can wear a disguise. In fact you can use the legend of the first Fire Nation town I lived in. You could become the Painted Lady." The Blind Bandit pulled out a thin chain around her neck and out of her top came a little statue of the Painted Lady. "She's a healer too and has spirit magic which is a lot like water-bending. I bet you could get away with it."

The thin walls allowed them to hear the neighbor who was just robbed and her children crying. Their mother tried desperately to calm them and it worked a little. The little ones were crying because they were so hungry. The mother kept saying, "I know, I know. But I have nothing to give you." There was underlying fear, worry and pain in her calming voice.

"Alright," said Katara, "as soon as we get the stuff for the costume I will begin."

The Blind Bandit smiled.

In the mean time they dropped off some money for food.

Within two days they had all they needed for the costume. And that night Katara gave her first attempt at thievery.

Dressed as the Painted Lady, including the painted, red stripes on her face Katara left the tiny apartment. Smokey mist drawn by her water-bending accompanied her. She really made an art of her first appearance. It was partially to add reputation to the Painted Lady, to get stories circulating of the woman again. This visit was a two fold mission, attract attention and thus give fear to the baddies and to gain the things stolen from the lady down the hall. The Blind Bandit even added creepy thumps as she approached the home of the official.

Someone looked out a window in the richer area of town and screamed. Katara had to smirk. The people in some houses shut their windows and doors. This was not something they wanted to have anything to do with. Others came out; some sent guards out to protect them. The Painted Lady just ignored them. She was on a mission. She knew the wrong she had to set right tonight. And everything and everyone else were nothing as long as they remained spectators.

When she got to the gate of the rich man's house every thing was suddenly quiet. 'Nice effect Blind Bandit.' thought the Painted Lady. She made water incase her feet and used it to make her fly over the gate. The people behind her gasped.

A guard in the courtyard of this mansion witnessed it and fled. He ran pass another guard, this guard prided himself in extreme bravery. He went to face whatever had spooked his companion. Seeing an apparent spirit coming forward the guard froze. The apparition looked at him and seeing the painted designs he started to shake.

A few other guards came running out; they had dressed in a hurry. One of the guards yelled at him to quit gawking and attack the intruder. He did but the fire blast was sucked up in her fog. They all attacked and the same thing happened. Then without warning they all found themselves flung in different directions.

She walked right past one guard who cowered to the ground. It was the guard who had been the second of the household to see her. When she was nearly past him he looked cautiously up at her. His eyes widened, the apparition was deadly and beautiful. A combination he prayed to never face again. He hoped to never see the beauty that was the Painted Lady again.

The Painted Lady glided into the mansion. The master of the house who had been warned of the intruder was struggling with his dressing robe and stumbled right into her path. He stood and demanded her to stop. She ignored him and continued sliding through the house. He sent a fireball at her that if she hadn't jumped back would have burned her head just like a match head.

Turning back to the man slowly she moved her arms in a showy way then suddenly under his feet was ice. Then she moved her arms back toward herself and the ground below him was all of a sudden stripped of ice and completely dry. He fell to the ground.

"Who are you?!?" he cried afraid.

The Painted Lady turned her face just enough for him to see some of the paint in the dark room. He had no clue who it was but his heart began racing. He trembled and feared. "Please! What are you doing here?"

She let a moan slip from her lips, a moan the told of suffering and pain, a moan the screeched 'I am dead!'

"No! Please spare me!" He thought this mysterious woman was going to kill him.

Giving some fast fluid movements the Painted Lady bashed him in the head with a chunk of ice. He would be unconscious for a while. She then dropped a Panda-Lily on his chest.

Katara took the things he took from the pour in her neighborhood and all the money she found in the house. His wife and children saw her too. They were recoiled just beyond a doorway to a baby's room. On the floor by the door the faces stared up at her in wonder and fear. She looked at them and nodded. They realized as long as they made no move to stop her that they would be safe.

When she got the things she came for, money included she vanished in a silent explosion of mist. She popped out the window behind her.

In the grounds again she was sucked underground by means of the Blind Bandit's earth-bending.

She came on top of the ground again in an empty alleyway by where she would be returning the things she took to their proper owners. Again Katara called up the oppressive fog and entered the streets. This time though there was no pounding of earth-bending. Still with the rapid drop in temperature her fog caused a few people awoke to shut their windows and saw her. They saw her enter an apartment through the window and then seconds later leave. They saw her do the same a few times then she went towards an alleyway but disappeared before she entered it.

The Blind Bandit met her underground this time. She helped her change back into her Fire Nation clothes because there was absolutely no light in her cavern. They left the Painted Lady garb there.

They reemerged and entered their own apartment without drawing attention.

630630630630630630630630630630630630630630630630630630630630630630630630630630630630630630630

Hi Everyone! Here is Chapter 3! Yay! Hehehe! Because of questions asked I am putting the next chapter out now. =D And in honor of having five reviews! Yes! Hehehehehehehehe!

I first off would like to thank both my reviewers, ArrayePL from fanfiction (dot) net again =D and my new commenter Mannie258 from deviantART. Thank you! =D I lovels the reviews! Hehehehe!

Okay and to answer your questions ArrayePL: Did the genocide occur? Yes but they didn't get the chance to kill everyone and the reason may be explained later.

Are the Air-Nomads hiding their identities and abilities? Yes which should become more obvious in the next chapter.

What is Toph doing in the Fire Nation anyway - I mean how did she get there? =D That is for me to know and for you to keep coming back to find out. =D It's a secret… shh!

Mannie258 wants to know how Zuko will come into play. He is coming soon. *nods with wide grin* You will find out then.

Quick Fact 1: Aoi, as in Aoi Falls, mean blue in Japanese so you can conclude that the water in the pools the waterfalls made is blue!

Quick Fact 2: Everyone that we know (at least the main characters) are older then they were in the series so some differences in behavior could be because they are more mature.

Quick Fact 3: The Blind Bandit is thought of as a Lone Robin Hood.

Hope you liked it! Please review! See ya! (Sorta…)


	4. Little Bag of Coins

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Air-bender, the very talented team of Mike and Brain own the show and characters. The rating maybe wrong but I did try to get it right.

By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescentmoon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.

**When Ice and Lava Meet**

**Chapter Four**

The next day when 'Jen' and 'Mai Ling' as they still called themselves entered the market their ears were filled with the exploits of a mysterious woman whom those who knew her legend called the Painted Lady.

Katara and the Blind Bandit smiled at each other. They smiled even bigger when they heard most of the guards from the night before had quit. They hadn't signed up to deal with ghosts. Some of them talked of leaving the city.

"Hey Jen, Mai Ling!" called Aang. He ran over to them.

"Aang it's good to see you again." 'Jen' said.

"Yeah it's good to you two too."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's good not to see you too Twinkle-Toes." Not getting all the sleep she needed made the Blind Bandit grumpier than usual. "What brings a hillbilly like you into town?"

"We need a few things on the farm. I came with mother to get them."

"And I buy some things too heavy for me, turn around and find you gone." Lily-Lee shook her head at her boy.

"Sorry Mother. I saw these two and got distracted."

"Hello Mrs. Yong."

"Hello dears, how have you been?" She turned back to her son, "You go load the cart."

'Mai Ling' snickered.

"We've been good." answered Katara. "How have you and the family been?"

"We've been fine. Ming and Ruon-Jian have finally set a date, a week before the mid-summer Sun's Star feasible."

'Jen' exclaimed, "That's great!"

"You two will come of course."

"Of course." agreed 'Jen'.

"Hey!" the Blind Bandit spoke. "Don't I get a say?"

"Don't you want to come to my daughter's wedding?"

"I guess. I just wanted to add my say so." Then she went off to find Twinkle-Toes. He needed a good torture since they hadn't seen each other in a while.

"Hey Twinkle-Toes, you should lift with your knees. You keep lifting like that and you'll throw your back out."

He dropped the bag from shock. "Oh! Mai Ling!" Aang smiled at her.

She smirked. "Don't have a heart attack Twinkle-Toes. It's just me."

All Aang could think was, 'And that's why I'm having a heart attack.' his heart was pounding from surprise.

'Mai Ling' loved making him jump. His reactions to her various tauntings were hilarious.

Aang to get the subject on anything but him said, "Have you heard about the Painted Lady? They say she came out of no where last night and attacked the tax collector. Then took a bunch of money and things to the people in the Hide District."

"I saw her man!" A guy popped up beside them causing Aang to jump. "She stepped out of fog, no not stepped she flew, and the fog traveled with her. She was like a vision. She could be nothing but a spirit of great power. I saw her thrash those guards of the tax collector just by waving her hands!" He was one of the tax collector's neighbors. "I wouldn't want to face her, no sir." The man lurched off.

"That was odd."

Aang just nodded.

The Blind Bandit's ear's twitched. She could hear a scam taking place, and she wanted in, just on the opposite side. "Excuse me."

"Sure… Wait a second I can't let a blind girl wander around this city alone. I'll come with you." 'Mai Ling' had to keep it a secret that she could earth-bend so Aang had no idea she could see using her feet.

'Mai Ling's' hands squeezed into tight little fists. She hated this. She just wanted people to treat her normally. But when one is blind and hiding from two groups of people there's not a whole lot she can do to make people think of her otherwise. She got control of her anger and said, "Whatever floats your boat Flying-Subhuman."

Aang looked hurt at her new nickname for him. Yet he still trailed after her. When around her Aang was constantly amazed by her ability to avoid all the obstacles in her path.

'Mai Ling' went straight to the man and put on her humble blind girl routine. The man called her over and explained the game to her like she was an especially stupid kindergarten child. The only part of her that reacted to his treatment was one of her eyebrows twitched. She was used to this kind of treatment, even her parents had treated her like this to both a lesser and greater extent. 'I absolutely hate being treated like I'm a dumb pigeon-hog!' She was going to enjoy taking money from this man even more for his underestimation of her.

Aang noticed the change, 'Something must be going on here…' but he said nothing. It was odd, this was the way he had always pictured the woman of his dreams, soft, quiet, shy, beautiful, traditional and kind, but seeing 'Mai Ling' act that way was disturbing. He missed the girls, and now he missed the real 'Mai Ling'. Aang didn't like this imposter with her face. Aang wanted to say something to bring the brash, strong woman he knew back. Yet he kept his mouth shut. He was too curious as to why she was acting thus.

'Mai Ling' put a small drawstring coin purse on the short table. "I'll wager one silver piece to test this luck you say I may have." She opened the purse and felt a coin more than it was necessary for her to tell it was a silver piece, she did so to allow the man to look inside and see all the coins about half of which were gold pieces. There were a few copper pieces too. She knew to a man like him the temptation would be great and he would let her win the first hand so that on the second or third hand he could take her for all she had. That was just the way his type worked. She knew the game well.

Aang thought that she was just throwing away the money, he didn't know her plan. But he didn't say anything. It was her money.

To Aang's great surprise she won. She won the next game too. Then the man said, "Wow you are so lucky that you could put me out of business! Care to see how that luck holds with a higher wager?"

"A higher wager?" She asked like she didn't have a clue what he was talking about. "What ever do you mean?"

"Well, little missy, you wager your little bag of coins against my big bag of coins and whoever wins takes them all. I'm practically giving you this bag of coins." She pretended to think on what he said.

"I don't know… Daddy always told me to never wager gold pieces, and I know there are twenty-five gold pieces in my bag…" She acted like she really wanted to say okay even though she knew she shouldn't.

Aang had had enough. There was no way he would let his blind friend lose all her money to this creep. "Mai Ling…"

She threw her hand up in his face. "Quiet I'm thinking."

"Mai Ling, I don't think you should do it. You could lose everything in that bag to the man."

"That she could but with the way her luck's been holding I doubt she would." the con-man said.

"Excuse us." The Blind Bandit stood up and pulled Aang a little ways away. "Aang, what are you doing?"

"That man is a con artist. One or two coins is okay every now and then, but that's too much money to risk. You should use that money on food or rent or something useful."

'Mai Ling' rolled her eyes, not that he could see them. "Aang do I tell you how to use your money?"

"No, but…" he shook his head.

"That's right, I don't Twinkle-Toes, so don't tell me how to use mine." she huffed quietly at him.

The man was watching them, trying to understand what they were whispering.

"Maybe we should consult Jen." Aang thought maybe the other girl could convince her 'cousin' not to be foolish with their money. "Jen!" he called, knowing if he left the younger girl alone she would take the bet.

'Jen' and Lily-Lee came running.

"Jen," Aang was holding onto 'Mai Ling's' arm. "Mai Ling is thinking of betting a large amount of money at this man's table for a bag that's probably worth two-thirds what hers is, can't you talk her out of it?"

Katara knew the only reason the Blind Bandit allowed Aang to hold her arm like that was as to not lose her cover as a helpless blind girl. She almost bit her lip in worry as to how to get 'Mai Ling' out of Aang's arm and back to the table. "Aang, it's her money. We've already paid the rent and I've got some set aside for food. She can bet it all if she is so inclined. She is an adult and I cannot stop her. If she loses it all hopefully she will learn not to make such foolhardy bets again." 'Jen' said.

The man at the booth was worried with that many people there the quiet blind girl was sure to be convinced that this was a stupid thing and would just walk away. "What if I make it two bags of silver and ten gold pieces?" he called at them. He really, really wanted her money it was more then he could cheat people out of in a week on a good week.

'Mai Ling' smiled and turned to the man. "It's a deal."

"What!" said Aang.

"Aang, this is her decision. Let her make it." said his mother. Lily-Lee was worried too but she knew it was none of her business.

A few seconds later 'Mai Ling' grabbed the bags of money even swiping the gold pieces into her palm and rushed passed them. She wrapped one arm through Aang's and one through Katara's and 'Jen' grabbed Lily-Lee so they all got out of there together.

"I told you not to worry." puffed 'Mai Ling'.

"If you won fair and square why did we run away?" asked Mrs. Yong.

"Because sometimes when a blind girl wins a large amount of money they aren't too happy. Sometimes they refuse to give me my money and sometimes they throw things at me." she lied so easily.

Lily-Lee Yong asked another question, "You do this often?"

"Sure. It's fun, and sometimes it gets us the money we need to survive." They were near a man who had only one leg and was begging in the street, 'Mai Ling' dropped three of the gold pieces at his side. She smiled in the direction of the man and nodded.

Aang and his mother looked at each other then at 'Mai Ling'.

"What? We don't need all this money."

"Glad to hear it." a bulky man stepped in front of them from the shadows and a team of other men joined him. They were street thugs, common and low class. Katara and the Blind Bandit both felt the urge to bend but knew that this would force them to leave the town. A few of the men used this indecision to surround them.

'Jen' leaned down towards the Blind Bandit and whispered, "What do we do?"

7474747474747474747474747474747474747474747474747474747474747474747474747474747474747474747474747474

Hi! I am putting this out in honor of the 4th of July. Do-Do-DoDo_DO-DoDo-Do! Hehehe! Chapter four on the fourth! =D

Thank you to my three reviewers! =O Three! Yay! =D Mannie258, allyonshinezutara, and Liontracks. Thank you so much! Ps. Liontracks, Zuko is coming I swear! Just a chapter or two more…

Thank you all for reading and big thanks to my reviewers!

Ps. FYI I am doing a little seven pieces of art for Zutara inspired by 7 words. The words are Winsome, Old-Fashioned, Scenery, Extirpate, Cahoots, Virtuosity and Genteel. To hear more about it go to my http:// opal-dreams . deviantart . com/ (Minus the spaces). If you would like to join they can be stories or art. My goal is to have them done by the 11th but you can get them done at any time… I might not have my own up in time because our scanner is down and I don't know how to find the scanner on the computer with my parents' new programming. *Sigh*

Please Review if you like this story, if you don't have an idea of what to put you can say what you favorite part in the story and/or the chapter is, you can wish me luck, or just say how much you like it. And if you must say something bad about it please put it in a helpful way thanks.

Bye for now!


	5. Out of the Circle

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Air-bender, the very talented team of Mike and Brain own the show and characters. The rating maybe wrong but I did try to get it right.

By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescentmoon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.

**When Ice and Lava Meet**

**Chapter Five**

"Try to escape without bending. If that doesn't work, use bending. We must get this money to those who need it." Katara nodded knowing the other bender would feel that small vibration.

The head man abruptly shot fire at them. 'Oh come on!' thought Katara as they all dived out of the way. 'Does everyone who attacks us have to have fire-bending abilities?'

Aang looked over at the two girls; he and his mother had been allowed out of the circle. But the girls, they were still surrounded. Aang stood and helped Lily-Lee up. He clenched and unclenched his jaw and his fist. It was like he wanted to fight, but only for their sakes.

Katara and the Blind Bandit were now alone in the circle. The men were advancing on them. Some of them moved threateningly with fire glowing in their hands others had no bending.

"Hey leave them alone!" The beggar man grabbed one man's pant leg. The man promptly kicked him in the gut.

"Stop that!" 'Jen' cried. The girls stood back to back. 'Jen' went to go toward them old man but 'Mai Ling' held her back, shaking her head. 'Jen' was getting mad and the water in the air was responding, slithering toward her balled hands. It was un-seeable as yet but that couldn't last long.

The Blind Bandit wanted to attack with bending too but she hadn't given up on their original plan yet.

Suddenly all the men bounded closer, the heat from the flames would soon be close enough to curl their eyebrows. A worm sized fleck of water hit the back of 'Mai Ling's' neck. 'Mai Ling' understood, 'Jen' was asking if it was time to use bending. 'Mai Ling' tapped the ground twice causing the earth just beneath 'Jen' to jiggle. The jiggling earth caused Katara's feet to tingle. It was agreed, they would bend.

Outside the circle Aang was gathering air like someone gathering leaves. He would save his friends at the cost of his own freedom if need be. As of yet no one paid him any heed.

"Hey boss these girls are pretty." said a man who could see both girls from the side. "Maybe we should take them with us too." The man leered appreciatively at them; it was like he wanted to show off his hole-filled, brown teeth.

The color drained from Katara's face, her heart raced with a new fear. This fear was so much worse than the last. The Blind Bandit sent another tremor to say, 'Don't be afraid, they won't get us wimpy water-bender.' Katara nodded. They would be fine, no matter what they would be fine.

Just as the three benders were going to unleash their powers on the unsuspecting thugs a huge fire-blast hit the leader from behind. "Uncle what are you doing?" asked a young man.

"Can you not see these people need help? I will not sit idly by and watch them be captured by these ruffians." a partially bald man with a grey topknot said. "One helps another when one can, so someday it can be returned in kind."

"Uncle you're going to be late getting back from your lunch break."

"My boss will understand."

His nephew rolled his eyes. But because they couldn't afford to have both him and his uncle out of work, they couldn't really afford to have only one person working, his nephew said, "Fine I'll help you."

While they were having their little argument some of the thieves had approached them to snuff out the interference the two caused. They didn't expect to be thrown back by the youth's powerful bending. The out of thin air fire-bending sent the three other men flying.

The old man, sixty-eight years old, and his nephew, twenty years old, charged at the men still surrounding the two ill-fated women. They dropped all the men in just two minutes.

'Jen' said awed, "Wow. Thank you!"

"Your welcome Miss…" began the old man.

"Jen, just call me Jen. This is my cousin Mai Ling."

"Yo."

Katara rolled her eyes. "May we know your names?"

"I am Iroh and this is my nephew, Zuko." They were living in secret in the Fire Nation, but being in the Fire Nation had one huge perk, they could use their own names. Many children in the fire nation were named after members of the royal family. So the banished prince Zuko and the also banished should have been Fire Lord both lived in the Fire Nation without drawing suspicion. And people didn't expect to find them there.

Zuko just nodded grumpily.

Aang thought, 'They must be good people if they would save someone they don't know.' So Aang went over and introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Aang Yong."

"And I'm Lily-Lee Yong." Lily-Lee said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Iroh answered.

"Uncle your job."

"Ah yes. If any of you ever have time you should come visit the Jasmine Dragon." Iroh could feel the vibes his nephew was giving off. His vibes were saying. 'Uncle Iroh…' he was gritting his teeth so to speak. Iroh laughed. "I suppose I must be going. Goodbye."

Everyone else said goodbye as well and the two groups split ways. When they got back to the Yong's cart they too separated. They had to go home to get their work done.

The Blind Bandit and Katara also went home. They would be busy later with deliveries of money and were overly tired. So they went to bed.

711711711711711711711711711711711711711711711711711711711711711711711711711711

Okay this is out today in honor of my brother and a niece's birthday even though neither of watch/watched Avatar. Happy Birthday!

My scanner is still down so I couldn't get my Zutara Seven up by today but they are all drawn and Inked, one is colored and I'm working on another. *Sigh* If you want to do any of the words there is no deadline so fill free to join up.

Also to spread the word this year's Zutara Week is now scheduled for August 10th - 16th! I have already signed up and just wanted to let others out there know it's coming. If you don't want to sign up you can still suggest prompts. I don't know how they will be picking the words but yeah. Go find GreenifyME at deviantART to join or suggest prompts. At the moment there are already 393 comments! That amazes me! I can hardly wait!

Thanks to my reviewers, Kaydreams (at Fan fiction (.) net), Mannie258, Liontracks and allyonshinezutara. I love all the reviews, Thanks you guys!

Liontracks asked if they were in the Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom. I thought I had answered that already but I guess I haven't. They are in the Fire Nation. What better place to hide from your enemies than in their own backyard?

Please Review if you like this story, if you don't have an idea of what to put you can say what you favorite part in the story and/or the chapter is, you can wish me luck, or just say how much you like it. And if you must say something bad about it please put it in a helpful way thanks.

Bye for now!


	6. The Fire Cherub Flys Away

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Air-bender, the very talented team of Mike and Brain own the show and characters. The rating maybe wrong but I did try to get it right. **_

_**By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescentmoon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.**_

_**When Ice and Lava Meet**_

_**Chapter Six**_

_Katara already knew her next objective that night she would target a man in the Chan District. This man was an art dealer by day, an art thief by night. In the Hide District, where Katara and the Blind Bandit lived, there was a young man who risked everything to escape his drunken father. He followed his life dream of being a painter. Then this man stole his only painting, The Fire Cherub. The pour painter couldn't afford more paints or canvases without the funds his piece may have brought him. It may have even gotten him a patron. Now he would be stuck in the poorest district in this crummy city._

_The Painted Lady would not allow this injustice. _

_This time after dressing and trailing fog all the way to the area she needed to be the thumps were heard only by the owner and a few of his neighbors. It was so the Blind Bandit and the Painted Lady wouldn't always have to work together. Each night the Blind Bandit would bend her element quieter and quieter until it made no sense for her to bend the earth to her will._

_This night the neighboring households gathered around as close as they dare to the woman gliding down the street. They watched her float up the steps, she was fairly certain spirits did not walk up steps. The door was locked but that held her back very little. She waved her arms to gather silver strands of water. She moved in a way that the water wouldn't shine in the moonlight and draw the attention of the bystanders. The Painted Lady pressed her hand to the lock, forcing the water inside it. Then she froze the water. Water expands when it freezes, and this expansion exploded the lock._

_The Painted Lady smiled at the awe that echoed behind her. Tiny fragments of the lock landed at the feet of a child. The child picked up the four freezing metal pieces. They would be her treasure. Her father was a blacksmith and he would incorporate them into a pendant for her. The little girl gazed up at the fringe of fabric and smoke that disappeared into the home of the 'mean man' with admiration._

_The 'mean man' was hiding in his room under his covers like a scared kid. This man was just five years older than Katara and unmarried so he lived alone. It was so easy it should have been a crime for such a pitiful man to be such a powerful art dealer. Katara went through the house. Any painting he had that he didn't have a written agreement with the artist she took. She'd find out where all the people were later. The Fire Cherub was hanging in a place of honor in his salon. It was there so all his guests could see his priceless work of unknown origin._

_Katara used water-bending to harden the stem of a Panda-Lily. She then proceeded to fling it into the very spot where The Fire Cherub had been. The Panda-Lily bobbed on its stem. The flower seemed to be waving goodbye to the pretty girl. She in turn nodded to the Panda-Lily._

_The Painted Lady shifted out the house, the crowd was larger, waiting for a glimpse of her. She nodded at them like she had the flower. Then the ground disappeared just under her and she was gone again._

_When she met up with the Blind Bandit the Painted Lady whispered, "A few more nights of this and the legend will sustain itself for a while…"_

"_Yes." The blind girl led the way through the tunnel that was slowly filling behind them. "Katara… I thought you went in for one painting."_

"_I did. There were others that didn't belong to that man, so I took them too. We can find out who they really belong to later."_

_The Blind Bandit nodded. There were gossips all over the city, the trick was finding the right one and being crafty enough to get them to reveal the information without drawing suspicion. It was another game and she loved games, she excelled at games of high society like that one. Even if she distained high society in general. The snobs that snub anyone they think may be beneath them, the luxurious living with no thought of how anyone else was living made her sick. Not all the rich were that way, just the ones she and her parents knew that was why they never introduced her to anyone if they could help it._

_Katara felt the air shift moods; there was a twanging sadness there. "Blind Bandit, are you alright?"_

"_Of course, Sugar-Queen."_

'_Sugar-Queen' didn't believe her but she let it go. They arrived at the place they would return the painting. Katara didn't bother to conger much mist; she would be entering the shack through a large hole in the side._

_She set the painting at the man's feet. He was asleep and by the looks of it having a nightmare. The Painted Lady placed her hand on his brow. She murmured about watching cute animals play until he was soothed._

_Then she left._

_The market rang with the newest adventures of the Painted Lady again. The general moral of the city lifted. There were a few people who feared they may be next and became extra cautious. So crime also began to decline. Just as there were those who thought to be extra careful there were those who thought themselves out of the Painted Lady's league. Thus everyone was happily awaiting the next strike of the Painted Lady. The city police were concerned with the capture of the gentlewoman thief. _

_The young man was able to get a buyer for the painting. A romantic young woman, the daughter of the mayor, had caught the Painted Lady craze. She got her father to buy her that painting, and because the Painted Lady was now associated with it he got the price a famous artist would have gotten for one of his paintings. And the mayor's daughter liked his work so well she became his patron of the arts._

_Yes, most of the changes in this city were for the better._

_718718718718718718718718718718718718718718718718718718718718718718718718718718718718718_

_Hi Everyone! I was going to have this out days ago but I didn't have time. The Scanner is still being a pain! So my Zutara Seven is still sitting in my backpack waiting to be uploaded. So please someone do one of my words and make me feel better._

_Zutara Week's coming!_

_Thank you all my reviewers, Liontracks, Mannie258, allyonshinezutara (deviantART), and ArrayePL (fan fiction(.)). Thank you all!_

_ArrayePL said "I like the way you introduced Iroh and Zuko, but I'm not sure if they could hide out in the Fire Nation under their real names given Zuko's scar. I mean the authorities would have warrants with their pictures on them. So someone could recognize Zuko." This is a good point, one that could have put a hole in my plot if it weren't for the fact that I have yet to explain what really happened to ANYONE that brought them to hide in the Fire Nation. (At lease I haven't explained in detail, but I will.) I assure you ArrayePL that I have a plan in action that will cover this hole splendidly (I hope.) And I'm not completely sure that the Fire Nation authorities would have pictures of people who they don't know has returned …. (The rest of this thought must be bleeped out to keep from revealing to much of the plot.) It is likely that they have a book or file with their pictures in it. I would also like to point out that changing his name would make little difference with the authorities using pictures. I hope this clears things up, at least a little, without reveling what is to come. Thank you for pointing this out, I knew there was something that I needed to put in a Quick Fact Note in Chapter Five but by the time I got to that point I had forgotten what it was._

_Thanks for reading, please review. Write again soon I hope._


	7. Misted by Luxury

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Air-bender, the very talented team of Mike and Brain own the show and characters. The rating maybe wrong but I did try to get it right.

By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescentmoon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.

**When Ice and Lava Meet**

**Chapter Seven**

They had a boring day, or so far it was. So Katara and the Blind Bandit decided to take Iroh up on his offer and visit him at the tea shop. They deserved the tiny bit of luxury that a cup of tea would mist them in.

When they entered the shop the smell of herbs hit them full blast. Just like a man hit 'Jen' knocking her to the ground.

"Sorry," the man grumbled. He reached down and pulled her to her feet. It was Zuko from the day before.

"You should pay more attention to where you're going." 'Jen' said.

"What?!?"

'Mai Ling' joked, "Oh Jen don't be ridiculous. That was obviously his way of hitting on you." 'Mai Ling' punched 'Jen' in the arm.

"What!?!" Zuko blushed red. "I would never hit on such a low class gutter-rat like her!"

"No, self respecting 'gutter-rat' would want you to! After all you're so beneath them!" responded the offended girl.

'Mai Ling' was highly shocked but kinda pleased with the entertainment they were providing. She had meant it as a joke, oh well. 'Who knew Sugar-Queen had it in her?'

"Zuko!" boomed a voice behind the scarred man. Zuko flinched. "That is no way to talk to a lady."

"She's no lady; she's a peasant, like us."

"Regardless. You do not talk to a member of the gentle sex in such a manner. I taught you better. Please excuse him ladies he's been having a rough time in recent weeks. He lost his job and is worried about our financial wellbeing." Uncle Iroh said in the hopes of flattening ruffled feathers.

"Hmm." sneered Katara. She wanted to say, 'I wonder why.' but contained herself.

"No problem. It was hilarious." the Blind Bandit announced.

Iroh turned to Zuko and discreetly said, "When one has done wrong one must apologize promptly to halt future heartache."

"Apologize!" hissed Zuko. "She should apologize to me!"

"Zuko she was only defending herself from your unwarranted attack. Her friend meant no harm with her joke."

"I will not apologize; my pride is the only thing I still have." Then he walked out the door in a huff.

Iroh hung his head with a sigh. "I am sorry ladies. My nephew is not himself at the moment. Please forgive his rude behavior."

Toph answered, "Hey no problem Captain Sparky can breathe smoke all he wants."

Iroh chuckled. "Come this way. You two can have tea on the house."

Katara smiled at him. "Thank you."

Iroh just nodded and led them to their wormhole punctured table. "So what can I get for you?"

He took their orders and went back to work.

While he was out after the short lived battle Zuko was listening to a couple talking to each other about the good one Painted Lady had done for the people. This couple was rich but that didn't mean they lacked problems. The lady said, "I wish she would go to Mister Sun's house and get our painted ostrich-horse back for us." The painted ostrich-horse was a beautiful toy that their little baby wouldn't sleep without.

They gave Zuko an idea.

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

*Grin* My computer's working again! Yay! Thank you everyone for your well-wishes and prayers. My computer may work for a few more days to twenty years or so. I'm praying for the twenty or so years. That was chapter seven. I hope you liked it.

Thanks to my reviewers and everyone who waited so patiently. My reviewers were, Kaydreams, tokka123, and vash3055 (from fanfiction(.)net), Mannie258, phili91, and Lion tracks (from deviantART). Thank you all for your interest. I want to say to vash3055 that yes there will be some Taang, but I'm not sure how much will be in it.

Thanks for reading, please review, I'll try to update again soon.


	8. Lacy Dawn

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Air-bender, the very talented team of Mike and Brain own the show and characters. The rating maybe wrong but I did try to get it right.

By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescentmoon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.

**When Ice and Lava Meet**

**Chapter Eight**

That night Katara dressed as the Painted Lady. This night the plan was vastly different from the night before. The Blind Bandit would be staying home. She was going to heal sick and injured in this, the poorest area of the city. There was a place called 'the pit' just a couple blocks away. The pit was a community completely of sick, poor people. These people were treated like they had the plague or leprosy. In truth they didn't have the money to heal themselves and so were banished to the pit. There were a few 'angels of mercy' who would visit the area once a month. They would kill the worst of the lot and dispense a little medicine. Then they would take the dead and bury them. Many of the people there were children, some of the children were only there because that's where their parents were. Other children were orphans. Some where the only sick ones in their families and other families every member was there. Most of the illnesses would be easily healed if anyone cared to help them. Or if a Water-Healer came in, a very dangerous prospect.

The Painted Lady slipped down the tunnel of earth that was the only entrance to the pit. Well the only entrance without taking down a wall or flying in. But the wall was too high for her to water-bend over without a river a few feet away.

The cold fog nipped at the air surrounding her. Tonight she only called a light fog out. This walled off place was dirty, so dirty the not even roach-hoppers would live there. It was a bigger place then she expected. It's reeked of vomit, and puss and death and other unpleasant smells. No not reeked, it suffocated with the sheer intensity of the stench. Added to all that was that it was full, over-flowingly so. The sick laid in the tunnel with barely any space to walk around them. Katara peeked in on the people inside the pit, there was even less walking space in there. There was three cots, a few sleeping bags and a few more blankets, but not nearly enough to meet demand. All the warming devices used were ripped and torn into useless treads, their clothes weren't much better. There was no roof past the tunnel. What a rotting, moldy place it was.

Katara felt overwhelmed by the shear mass of the people there. Most all of them were sick but even the few who weren't sick soon would be if they continued in that pitiful environment.

She sent up a silent prayer to know who needed the help the most and to have time to get to as many as possible. She added to that prayer that her strength would hold out long enough that she wouldn't get caught after helping as many people as she could.

When she looked around she found five of the people were dead.

Some of the ones she helped that night would require that she visit again. And she didn't help everyone that would be impossible even if the night lasted two hours longer and she had immeasurable amounts of water and energy.

As she left the lace of dawn began to spread in the sky. She would have to hurry home. First she had a small job to do. Once again she hardened a Panda-Lily stem and threw it. It hit the sign above the entrance, the sign that called this place the pit. It almost missed because she was unsteady. She was so tired. "I wish I had've asked the Blind Bandit to come with me." she whispered to the empty streets.

A man in the tunnel awoke at her words. But he didn't understand them. The man shook the boy beside him. He put a finger to his son's lips and pointed at the ghost. "The Painted Lady!" the child was excited but tried to stay quiet, a few people around them woke up.

The Painted Lady turned back to them with wide eyes. Then she scurried away. Turning so fast she was dizzy so she ducked down a nearby alleyway and kept going. She stumbled when she turned onto another street. Looking around to find herself alone she wondered what to do. People were started to wake up and it would be a bad idea to travel in these clothes, but where there is a street people walk. She knew someone would be this way soon. 'I really wish I had've brought the Blind Bandit along. But I didn't think there would be that many people there.' She bowed her head.

Next thing she knew she was underground.

"Hey, Sugar-Queen what kept you so long? I woke up and you still weren't back yet. I had to come get you. I'd much rather have stayed in bed."

"It was horrible, those people, there were so many, I don't think I even helped a fifth of them… Thank you for coming." Katara sat down unable to stand anymore. She leaned against the hard wall. "Do you mind if I rest here for a while?" She was asleep before the other girl could even say one word.

"Wow…" the girl paused, "Sugar-Queen really pushes herself hard to help people… Dumb broad, if you exhaust yourself you can't help anyone." But the girl felt compassion to the water-bender. She earth-bended them back to their area of the slums. They were on the bottom floor and the floor had a big whole in the wood. The hole was the reason they got that one, so the Blind Bandit would be close to her element. So she just bended them into their tiny rundown apartment.

The smaller girl picked up her companion and put her on one of the two beds. Then the small woman sat down on the exposed earth and went to sleep as well.

Later that day the Blind Bandit left Katara alone for a while and went for a walk, maybe she'd find a game to play or who the paintings belonged to while she was out.

She did get some of that information. She could finally get some of those paintings off her bed. Not that she slept there but it was the principle. On her way back from tormenting a show man who was not up to pare to spar verbally with her she strutted down the street and met Iroh. Sparky was there too and they were arguing.

"Zuko you can't do this! We are trying to make a new life for ourselves not draw attention. What you're doing is too dangerous!"

"It's only dangerous if I get caught. And I won't get caught."

"Listen to you're uncle, Fire-Breath he knows what he's talking about. What are you talking about?" the blind girl asked.

"Why hello my dear Mai Ling!" Iroh smiled at her. "I thank you for your agreement."

"Seriously tell me what Impulse-Man was doing that's so dangerous."

"Ah Mai Ling you don't need to hear this boring family business."

"It's been a long time since I've seen my family, try me. Or I can just go to the cops. I'm sure with the proper incentive you'll find one close by no matter where you go or what you do…" Ah yes 'Mai Ling' would get her way today.

Iroh took her arm and pulled her to the side. Then he whispered in her ear. Zuko stood where they had left him looking very annoyed. Iroh whispered Zuko's dangerous plan to the small woman.

'Mai Ling' marched back up to Zuko and pointed into his face. "Your uncle's right Sparky. You'll just get yourself killed. Leave this stuff to the professionals, like the Painted Lady. Cause if you die you'll deprive me of your lovely fights with Jen. And if I don't get to see those anymore I will kill you. By the way," she tapped her cheek, "Jen sends her loooove and a lot of kissssses…" the Blind Bandit teased.

Zuko blushed furiously.

"Oh that is nice of her. They didn't part on the best of terms."

"Uncle she was lying. She's said it to embarrass me."

"And even knowing that it still worked. You are a genius Sparky." she said the last bit sarcastically.

'Sparky' asked, "How did you know that?"

"Inflections, when your blind talking becomes all about understanding inflections." She explained it farther just to get him angry. It didn't work but not even super 'Mai Ling' bats a thousand.

"Oh…"

"Mai Ling! Mai Ling where did you go?" 'Jen' had awakened to find 'Mai Ling' gone. She was out searching for her now.

"Isn't that your cousin?" Iroh asked.

"Yes it is. Let's keep walking."

"Ehh? That's not very nice Mai Ling." Iroh said.

"I know." she grinned at Iroh. "But I want to put off her yelling at me for a while. Plus if she sees me ignoring her she'll throw a fit. Her fits are hilarious."

"You are a wicked little girl." Iroh shook his head at her.

"I know." She wrapped her arm through Iroh's and began walking away with Sparky looking at her like she was crazy.

Iroh was uncertain what to do so he just played along. As they walked 'Mai Ling' continued their earlier conversation. "So Sparky thinks he's cut out for the life of a thief huh? I don't think so. He's so dorky, too dorky to be a good thief. He'd probably walk into a wall thinking it was a door and get himself caught."

"Do you know much about thievery then Miss Mai Ling?" Iroh asked.

"I'm blind Iroh. I am not suited to the life of a thief. I tried it once and failed. My parents were very angry about it. So I know nothing more than the old stories and the tales in the market." She paused, "Do you believe them Iroh?"

"No. I think that the stories are all just smoke and mirrors by the time they see the streets. There is some truth to them but a woman of unsurpassed beauty living as a gentleman thief? I find that unlikely."

"What about the other thieves that have been circulating the markets before she came along?"

"We haven't been here long. But I have heard talk of a blind girl I believe they called her the Blind Bandit. She worked a lot like this Painted Lady does."

"A blind girl, I've heard of her too. I think it's just someone pretending to be blind. After all the things they claim she's done are impossible for a blind girl. I should know."

"Mai Ling! Didn't you hear me calling for you?"

"Yes I did. But I figured you were calling one of the dozens of girls named Mai Ling." she teased.

"There aren't that many Mai Lings. And you know perfectly well I was calling for you!" Katara snapped.

"You were?" the Blind Bandit asked. "I really had no idea."

"Har-dee-har-har." Katara said sarcastically. "You could have told me you were leaving Mai Ling. I got worried about you." It was true 'Jen' had worried about 'Mai Ling', only marginally, but still she had worried for her friend. It was instinct for her to worry about those she loved. But she only worried a little about the Blind Bandit because the woman could take out a lot of people with no help.

"Well Jen you were working all night. I didn't want to wake you and face Cranky Wrathzilla."

Zuko who had given up and joined them earlier laughed along with the youngest person in their group.

Iroh looked amused but he kept calm for the sake of his young female friend. 'Jen' whacked Zuko behind the head. Then she did it again for good measure.

"Hey what was that for!?!"

"For being a jerk and a half. Now come over here and let me brain you some more!" She waved her fist at him. "Maybe you can learn something from my infinitely smarter hand."

Zuko ducked her fist twice then grabbed it and insulted her by saying, "With that temper I'm surprised we had to rescue you at all. If you had unleashed this temper on them they would have run from you, you shrew."

"Gah!" In the heat of the moment she threw her other fist at him and it too was captured.

"Now calm down you eternal maid before I decide to singe your eyebrows off."

'Jen' glared at him. "You frog-vole spit, you wouldn't dare."

"Really?" He blew smoke in her face as a second warning. Next time his fire-bending would do more then warm her face and cloud her vision.

"Ahh!" 'Mai Ling' sighed like a school girl to tease them. She covered her cheeks with her hands to add to her act. "Such lovely flirtations you two have."

It was then that they noted how close they had become. They threw themselves away from each other. Zuko and Katara were both redder then the fire nation garb they wore.

The Blind Bandit and Iroh both chuckled at that.

Katara managed to get a surprise hit on Zuko before marching angrily to the other side of 'Mai Ling'.

Zuko rubbed his shoulder where she hit him. She didn't get him very hard but it felt odd. So he rubbed it until the odd feeling was gone. But then again by the time the odd feeling was gone so was most of the feeling in his arm.

814814814814814814814814814814814814814814814814814814814814814814814814814814814

I couldn't get the last chapter up on fanfiction(.)net last time. I am sorry.

Anyway to no to my Reviewers. Thanks to Liontracks, allyonshinezutara, Mannie258, and phili91. Thank you all so much. Reviewers are such an inspiration.

Now I have one bit of GOOD news, to me anyway. The second day of Zutara week my artwork for it is up and it is from a scene from chapter seven of this story. Check it out. Go to deviantART and look up Veiled Blood Zutara and the first two are them (colored and uncolored). Yay!

Please Review. Bye for now!


	9. So You’re Thieving Tonight

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Air-bender, the very talented team of Mike and Brain own the show and characters. The rating maybe wrong but I did try to get it right.

By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescentmoon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.

**When Ice and Lava Meet**

**Chapter Nine**

That night Katara went back to the Pit after delivering the two paintings they had found the actual home to. The Blind Bandit promised to come retrieve the Painted lady around an hour before sunrise.

The Painted Lady glided around her deliveries and then went to heal more of the poor souls figuratively locked away to rot. She would do her best.

Hour after hour she worked in that dank, dreary place. She bended healing water were it was needed with everyone she helped. This night the dead were gone, as were some of the people who weren't dead the night before. 'A 'mercy mission' must have occurred yesterday.' She scowled at the thought. 'I must work faster and save these people from that fate.'

The Blind Bandit came shuffling through the stinking sick people. She hated this, the smell and heat from all the bodies tying to fight the infections. The breathing was very loud and echoed in her ears. She was late. But she was still early enough that no one would be about for another ten or so minutes.

She touched the Painted Lady's shoulder. "It's time to go."

The Painted Lady nodded and quickly finished the healing she was working on.

As they were walking down the street to get to a place where if any of the sick awoke they wouldn't see them sink into the ground, a man in black with the blue and white face of a demon ran in front of them. He was holding a ornate box. The blue face turned to them and seemed to focus in on the Painted Lady. The Painted Lady drew her weak mist a little closer around her to hide herself and her companion. But it was more like an unconscious maneuver than a thoughtful response. Even so her eyes trained and seemed to lock on his. But that was impossible it was too dark to see such details.

The sound of lunging feet penetrated the fog between the still and the running persons. The Painted Lady sent ice for the demon's pursuers to slide on. When the clash behind him resounded past his ivory horns he saluted her before disappearing down a darker road.

Then the earth swallowed the Blind Bandit and the Painted Lady before the latter could get them captured because of her dazed and tired state.

The Blind Bandit led her friend through the passageways she'd been creating all over the city of Aoi Falls. She could feel Katara stumble behind her blindly. 'I wonder what passed between them…' thought the earth-bender. If it would have made any difference in her sight she would have glanced behind her. But the bat-like radar that her feet 'saw' through the earth made such a move unnecessary. In fact most times she saw things better then anyone else, her mother had called it a sixth sense. Then her father would joke quietly thinking that she couldn't hear that it was truly a fifth sense. They didn't understand about her feet, the extent to which she could delve into someone's 'secret' truths, no one had, until Katara came along that is. She had told Katara while her feet were healing and no one else was nearby. And to her surprise not only did she except it but she understood, at least a little.

Right now the Blind Bandit could feel Katara's racing heart and lethargic movements. The extent of the lethargy wasn't only from being tired. Katara was expressing classic symptoms of be enthralled. She wondered if her friend would be enchanted if she knew who was under the mask. 'She'd probably try not to be… but this will make their fights in the day much more funny…' thought the Blind Bandit. She grinned, she would keep this secret for now.

They stayed away from Iroh and Zuko the next day much to the Blind Bandit's displeasure. Or more they didn't have time that day to visit the old tea lover and his nephew.

Katara had to pay rent and buy food and supplies. Toph spent much of her day extracting gossip from gossip mongers and playing high stakes games against cheating con men. All in all a productive but Sparky and Sugar Queen fightless day. The Blind Bandit huffed. 'I have to find a reason for them to be in the same area.'

Then the Blind Bandit hear a whispered pinch of a conversation and backed up so she could follow the people and hear what was said.

"What, a spirit thief for hire!" whispered a man franticly.

"Yes," whispered back the woman. "The Blue Spirit. He contacted a couple in the wealthy side of town that had lost something important to them and he stole it back for them. They had to pay him highly but he did a fabulous job. The soldiers lost him in the pour part of town, near the Pit, that the Painted Lady has been visiting lately. They say he was in and out in seconds. He was just as ghostly as the Painted Lady."

The Blind Bandit listened in carefully to the hushed voices.

The woman continued to say, "I bet if you offered enough the Blue Spirit would steal back that parrot-lizard that speaks of your secret room you hide refuges in, that Hanssi is blackmailing you with."

"You think?"

"Certainly."

'Prefect.' grinned the Blind Bandit. She could feel Zuko listening from on top of the stone wall beside her.

Zuko jumped and flipped down. He landed beside the two talking about him, down a very, very dark alley where they would only be able to see little of his figure and the mask he wore. "You are speaking of hiring me." he said in a deep, gruff voice the Blind Bandit knew wasn't his own.

The two people jumped and clutched each other in fear. Then they hurriedly let go and straitened themselves. "How did you know that?" the breathless man asked.

"I always know." answered the masked man.

The Blind Bandit snickered and said 'Bravo!' in her mind continuing with, 'Maybe you can pull this off after all Sparky.'

The man made to step towards where the spirit hid but the spirit said, "Stay back."

"Y-yes Bl-Bl-Blue Sp-Spirit s-sir!" The man was trembling.

"Now tell me the prize and the pay you offer."

And the man spilled his guts. He gave way more information than was needful. In the end Zuko said in the gruff voice that wasn't his normal one. "I will take this job on. Meet me here tomorrow night at mid-night I will have your bird."

"Y-yes Sir! Th-Thank you sir!" then the man and his partner scurried away.

Once they were gone and Zuko was back in his regular Fire Man garb, he came out and 'Mai Ling' made it so he 'accidentally' walked into her.

"Ow!" She pretended to be hurt. "Gosh Sparky, do you have a thing for running into women that you hardly know or something. Don't let Jen know, she may get jealous."

Zuko flushed and stumbled over an apology.

"If your really sorry have a late dinner with me tonight. Jen has to work at her new job tonight and we don't have much food that doesn't need to be cooked before eating it. Not a good idea for a blind girl to try."

"Uh… I guess, at what time?"

"Around midnight, I wake up hungry around then." 'Mai Ling' lied.

"I'm sorry I can't be there that late tonight. I have other plans… But perhaps my uncle…"

"Don't be ridiculous your uncle's shift starts really early in the morning. I wouldn't want to deprive him of his sleep."

"I'm sorry… Some other time I promise." Then he rushed off.

"So you're thieving tonight huh Sparky…" she whispered darkly. "Let me add to the challenge." Then she turned and waved at his retreating figure with a bright smile. 'Mai Ling' yelled after him, "I'll hold you to that Sparky!"

827827827827827827827827827827827827827827827827827827827827827827827827827827827

Hey everyone! Now so you know why this chapter of When Ice and Lava Meet took so long, I've just become a mommy… To three little kitten's who's mother disappeared. They don't even have their teeth yet. So I have to feed and look after them. But they are so cute! For finger leeches. I love them already. To bad when they're weaned I can't keep them. *sigh*

Thank again to all my Reveiwers, You are an inspiration to this, if I may call myself, writer. I love you all! Thanks to love4anime, BrokenWolfKunoichi, Darkness's Daughter, and Kaydreams (from fan fiction(.)net), Liontrackes, Mannie258, zutararules777 and phili91 (from deviantART). Love4anime asked 'Does Katara know what the Blind Bandit's name is?' The answer is no, Katara knows her only as the Blind Bandit. BrokenWolfKunoichi asked 'When are Sokka and Suki coming?' I'm not sure, if I made a guessamit, they'll probably be along somewhere between chapters 15 and 20. Liontracks asked 'Did Katara blocked Zuko's chi?' I didn't think of that, if you want to believe that then go ahead, but she didn't know she did. Thanks again.

Please review and I'll try to update soon. Goodbye!


	10. For a ParrotLizard

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Air-bender, the very talented team of Mike and Brain own the show and characters. The rating maybe wrong but I did try to get it right.

By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescentmoon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.

**When Ice and Lava Meet**

**Chapter Ten**

"Hey Katara," started the Blind Bandit.

"Yes?"

"I have a new mission for you tonight."

"Really? What is it?"

"A Parrot-Lizard…" the Blind Bandit explained the situation, conveniently leaving all mention of the Blue Spirit out of the conversation.

"Okay. I guess I can help that man, even though he's rich. After all he does such good for fugitives."

After a light and filling dinner Katara got out the paint she had bought. It was cracked and dry around the edges. Only a little of it was still useable. "Stupid, cheep, Fire Nation junk." she growled at it savagely. She carefully applied the makeup to her dark skin. She had to be sure that none of the hard pieces ended up on her face, if someone realized it was makeup… things would go down hill fast around here.

After her face was done she changed into the costume that would take her from average if uniquely powered girl, to super impressive, highly honored spirit.

Soon standing in their apartment, that was nowhere near a match to the grace and power that an honored spirit deserved, was the Painted Lady. Or at the very least a convincing look-a-like stood in the drab place.

"I'm ready."

"Good."

Together they descended into the dark belly of the earth and the Blind Bandit's favored domain. The Blind Bandit spoke lowly of the badger-moles and how she was sad to leave her old buddies behind. The best the Fire Nation had were worm-snakes. They weren't any help or any good aside from composting things, dead animals mostly. And they were tiny. Where is the fun in that? She couldn't use them to storm a village like she dreamed of doing with the badger-moles.

Katara shrugged and hoped that none of those decussating things were near her in the darkness of impending doom which she traversed.

Popping them up into an alley way on the side farthest away from a certain blue and black figure the Blind Bandit said patting the wall. "Okay here is the house you need to retrieve the bird from. Good luck."

The Painted Lady nodded her thanks and the Blind Bandit began the hollow thuds that announced the coming of the vengeful water spirit.

Using some crates that kept garbage from being ravened by street animals the Painted Lady zoomed over the wall. Instantly the alarm was raised and most of the guards fled. They kept going, some even climbed the gate to get away.

One of the Painted Lady's eyebrows rose. 'That's odd.' thought the woman.

Hearing the commotion the Blue Spirit used the distraction to slip in the gate unnoticed. He looked at what the men were now either cowering or flying through the air away from the same woman from the night before.

He tried to dash past her but she saw the movement and sent him flying sideways.

The Painted Lady's eyes widened when she saw the blue mask and black fabric tightened to a strong, dashingly cut man. "The Blue Spirit…" she whispered lost for a second that he was there. Then she came to her senses, she had a mission to accomplish before going to help the pour souls in the Pit.

The Painted Lady whooshed over the land between her and the door. The Blue Spirit followed with some achy movements. Gliding through the house it wasn't hard to find the prize, that neither knew the other was after, yet.

This household was asleep, which was all the better.

In a cage in the room they entered from the garden was the bird. It was asleep under a sheet. The Painted Lady peeked at the bird and smiled. The Blue Spirit yanked the cage off it's stand. He took off with it.

The Painted Lady sent some ice for him to slip on but he just charged over it without a stumble. The woman ran after him. She used a water whip to shoot the cage out of his hand. Then slipping her water through the handle she used it to bring the cage into her arms before it could fall to the ground. She panted as she held the confused bird's cage.

The Blue Spirit turned fluidly and ran at her with his swords out.

She dodged to protect the cage and bird. Then when she turned to run he flipped over her and swept the cage from her fists and her feet from under her.

Before she could get up the Blue Spirit was gone and the Blind Bandit grabbed her in a freshly earth-bended tunnel.

"I can't believe it. I lost."

The Blind Bandit was amazed as well. 'Sparky has some sweet moves… But they would have been more evenly matched if Katara had been getting more sleep than she has. I love watching them fight.' She grinned in the dark. "Perhaps you should come home and rest."

"No Blind Bandit. I must go and help the sick now. It's not their fault I lost. I just need to practice more."

"No, Katara, you're moves were sluggish and unsteady. You need rest, not to overwork yourself more." When the Painted Lady opened her mouth to object more the Blind Bandit decided to bring out the big guns. She would bring to light her past…

"Katara, the truth is, I think it's time I told you the truth about me."

1016101610161016101610161016101610161016101610161016101610161016101610161016101610161016101610161016

Sorry I took so long to get this out. I am sick. The kittens are doing good.

Contest: This is the 10th chapter and my 100th deviation at DeviantArt. To celebrate I am hosting a contest in addition to the I Spy one. The contest is the first person(s) who can answer the question (with my answer, you might be surprised) 'What do Ice and Lava make?' A lot of people are thinking this is a no-brainer. =D We will see if that's true. =D

Prize and Rules: Winner(s) can request I draw a picture, ask for a new chapter to any story I haven't finished or for a short song fic. Rules for request: Can be a small group, couple or single, must be from Avatar the Last Airbender or you can suggest something but I must approve it, if not I will ask for something else, couple if it is romantic must be approved, if not you will be asked for a new one. Swearing, sexual or crude things will get you denied your prize. If you want a scene from a story the entire story can't be rated over pg-13 or have sexual scenes. PS. If you want a certain style send a (deviantART) link to a picture using the style and I'll do my best, the style can be mine or another artist's. (It can't be the same scene and you may need permission.)

Deadline: I'll be closing the contests when I get the next chapter out, and I will try to have it out in about a week. Winner is the first with the correct answer. Hurry!

Thanks to all reviewers. From Fanfiction(.)net Alice Prince, Novalightz, Xyzisme, Darkness's Daughter, and Kaydreams (hehehe yeah!), DevaintArt phili91, Mannie258, and allyonshinezutara. Thanks!

Alice Prince; The Jasimine Dragon is the tea shop Iroh started, but I never named the tea shop he is working at. Chapter 6 was in italics because of the site.

Novalights; To answer your questions… You will have to read future chapters to find out.

Xyzisme; Thanks for the help… I am going to go through the chapters and try to correct them when I 'm feeling better.

Darkness's Daughter; Katara doesn't know Toph's name because she never told her it. And Aang showed up in chapter 2. Back again in chapter 12.

Please review. Bye!


	11. Quite a Story

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Air-bender, the very talented team of Mike and Brain own the show and characters. The rating maybe wrong but I did try to get it right.

By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescentmoon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.

**When Ice and Lava Meet**

**Chapter Eleven**

That got the young water-bender to come home and sit in a somewhat relaxed position on her bed. "Are you sure you want to do this, Blind Bandit?"

"Yes, and my name is Toph, Toph Bei Fong. I am the daughter of an aristocrat, heir and only child of the Bei Fong fortune. I come from the Earth Kingdom."

"But… Then why are you here?"

"Well, that is what I wish to tell you." Toph gave out a breathy, self loathing laugh. "My parents loved me very much. They hired the best earth-bending teachers money could bring them for me. They bought me more clothes and toys then I could possible use. I had a personal servant. Every thing that needed sight, even things that my abilities made easy to me was done for me. I was spoiled rotten, but the one thing I wanted, I needed, they didn't give. They could never except who I truly am, a strong, independent person who would just as soon take on an entire army alone than be locked away like they had me." Toph took a deep breath. "So when I overheard some of the guards taking about an earth-bending rumble that was all the rage among their sons, I snuck out. That night all I did was watch through my feet. The men in the ring beat each other around with blocks of earth. It was an adrenaline rush that exceeded my thoughts, to be out of my home, in a place that my parents would say was too dangerous for their blind, helpless daughter…" She paused.

Katara, who could sense the unsaid but, said, "But?"

"But it wasn't enough, I had to do something unleash who I really was. That is when I first took on a name that wasn't my own, The Badger-Mole. I chose it because I had learned earth-bending from the badger-moles. And because the badger-moles and I share a trait, we're both blind earth-benders. I shot to the rank of champion that night. And I went again the next week to defend my title and the next and the next. Then the next time my father followed me, but I was too high on my freedom to notice. That night the match was all of the other contestants against me. And my father watched. That night he banned me from ever returning to the arena. He locked me away even more. A constant guard was posted 'inside' my room. I was never left alone for more than five minutes."

"So you ran away…"

"Yes, I did. I locked my guard in a tight stone box and left." Toph sighed. "I ran to another town. That's when I learned that I could cheat the conmen that worked on the side of the road. At first it was all about me. All the money I got I spent foolishly. I bought things I didn't need or really want. I began to hoard money and things. And I would leave the things behind when they no longer amused me. I cussed and spit and did everything I could think of that my parents would hate me for. I was an out of control monster.

"I kept moving on to avoid the men my father sent out after me. Eventually I found myself in a seaside town. There I stayed for too long. The men my father sent caught up to me. They aligned themselves with local rift raft. And they managed to capture me in a metal box. That experience forced me to rapidly learn metal-bending."

"You can metal-bend! That's amazing!"

"Yes. Let me finish, Sweetness."

"Sorry."

Toph glared at her and Katara mumbled a muffled sorry into her blanket. "As I was saying, I taught myself to metal-bend. Then I locked those suckers in the very box they were using to contain me. Then I earth-bended my way back to the town as fast as my bending would go. I ended up on the docks. I heard someone talking to someone else about looking for a girl with a big reward on her head. So I ducked into one of the ships to let it take me away. I don't like ships but I would do anything to stay out of the oppressive grip of my parents." Toph paused again here but this time Katara stayed quiet.

"I thought the ship would just go to another Earth Kingdom town not too far away. The ship didn't dock again until we were in the Fire Nation, on the island favored by the Painted Lady." Toph left out how long and scary the ride had been for her. How she felt completely out of her element even though the ship was metal. "I didn't stay there long. But I think it may have been the Painted Lady who guided me to a nice family who provided me with Fire Nation clothes and food. The day I left the family gave me my Painted Lady charm. It has been bringing me luck and a reminder of how there are good folks out there, since that day.

"After I arrived on the mainland I began my schemes again. But two days after I started I witnessed as only I can the cruelty the pour is subjected to. An old woman, frail and all alone was tripped by a man of 'good standing' and everyone pointed and laughed. No one reprimanded him, no one helped her up. On the impact she had broken her arm and all they could do was jeer her. That is when I realized what I could do. I could provide that woman and the pour like her with money taken from those that could afford to spare it.

"It didn't take long for a name to surface, I was known as the Blind Bandit. The rich began to fear me and to carry less and less money around with them and the pour and unhealthy where able to afford to feed themselves, find lodging and medicine. The rich weren't happy, but I think they rarely are."

"Wow… Toph that is quite a story."

"Yeah…" she sighed.

Katara stood to place a hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "You miss them… huh?"

"What! Not in the least!"

"Toph, it's okay to miss them. It's okay to love them. They loved you, even if they didn't know how to show it."

Toph sighed and hung her head. "Yes, I do miss them…… Katara, would you help me write them?"

"I would be honored."

3110311031103110311031103110311031103110311031103110311031103110311031103110311031103110311031103110

Hi everyone! I'm sorry this is late. But to make it up I have a surprise… I'm going to try to get the next chapter up tonight! Yes, I am giving you all a Halloween treat! I am better now, I just hope I stay that way.

Now on to my reviewers. I want to thank you all. Thanks to Alice Prince, xyzisme and Kaydreams from Fanfiction(.)net and allyonshinezutara from deviantART. Thanks so much! You're all amazing!

Xyzisme won the 'What does Ice and Lava make?' contest. I will try to have her prize up tonight as well. She asked me to write a fan story on one of her stories. It wasn't an option but I decided to see if any of her stories inspired me and one did. So I went with it. =D Check It out, it will be a sad Zutara story, named Wind Blown Ashes. Shhh!

Kaydreams demanded a rematch, hehehe! ;D And wanted to know if the kittens have names. Of course! There's Carna (short of carnivore) and her sister Crybaby (Cry). Thanks for the well wishes.

Well, you'll see more soon! Bye!


	12. Tell Them You Followed Me

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Air-bender, the very talented team of Mike and Brain own the show and characters. The rating maybe wrong but I did try to get it right. **_

_**By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescentmoon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.**_

_**When Ice and Lava Meet**_

_**Chapter Twelve**_

"_Katara, what are you doing?" asked Toph when she awoke to the sound of things clanking. "Oh skunk-goats and ferret-pigs!" Toph plugged her nose. "What is that smell!?! Did something die and begin to rot in here!?!"_

"_Oh Toph, you're awake!" Katara's voice was bubbly and tired. "I'm making Southern Water Tribe war paint."_

_Toph's eyes stung and watered. "Pee-ewe! Even if I could see I wouldn't be able to!"_

"_I know! Isn't it great!"_

"_No!" Toph said in a disbelieving tone._

"_Oh, I'm sorry! You see Toph this is a special blend of face paint that if you're not used to, the smell will cause you eyes to water until you can't see. The warriors of my tribe use it in battle in case the enemy gets too close. It causes the enemies' eyes to water thus throwing the battle in our favor or allowing the warrior to escape." She paused. "You'll get used to it… in about a week."_

"_A week!"_

"_Yes, after a week smelling this every day you'll be fine with it. And then if you ever smell it again you won't have any problems. Everyone in the Southern Water Tribe has to learn how to make it. I learned when I was six. My father called it the smell and quell."_

"_You're from the Sothern Water Tribe?"_

"_Yes."_

"_What's it like there?"_

"_It's cold and icy and snowy. But it was nice, everyone was our family, even if they weren't. Even when we had disagreements with ourselves we were unified when anyone on the outside tried to break through. We were attacked and that's why my brother and I left. The entire tribe spilt for protection. I have heard most all of them have returned. I would like to too, but I refuse to without my brother."_

"_What happened to your brother?"_

"_I don't know, we got separated a long time ago. This necklace," she tugged at something through her clothes, at her thigh, a stone with a ribbon attached hit the floor. "Is all I have of my home, my people, my family… my mother." Katara said my mother in a reverenced tone. Picking up the necklace she handed it to Toph to see._

_Toph felt the indentations and the soft buckskin ribbon. "Someone put a lot of effort into this."_

_Katara sighed. "My Gran-Gran was going to tell me who made it someday, but I haven't seen her since I had to leave. She might not even be alive anymore." Toph handed the beloved trinket back to Katara. Katara untied the blue-buckskin ribbon while going back to the barrel of paint she was making. She studied the ribbon and stone so long you might think she had never seen it before. But Toph knew better, she could tell that Katara was reliving bitter-sweet moments that seemed forever gone, but never to fade._

_Toph heard the sound of teardrops hitting the floor. That was all, no breaths aside from her own. Katara was slowly folding over. Toph became very nervous. 'How is it possible for her to hold her breath this long?' Finally Toph couldn't stand more. "Breathe Katara, breathe!" Toph screamed at her._

_Katara took a deep breath that forced her strait and dried the tears in her tear ducts. "I'm ok Toph."_

_Seconds later there was a pounding on the door it was a neighbor, the mother they were secretly providing money to. "Are you two alright in there?!?" she yelled through at them._

"_Yes, Mrs. Golden." called Katara, "I was just having a hard time breathing but I'm better now. Thank you!"_

"_Are you sure you're okay?"_

"_Yes Ma'am."_

"_Okay then…" Mrs. Golden left the hall._

"_I'm sorry I worried you Toph."_

"_You should be!"_

_Katara smiled at Toph's brave front and tucked the necklace away._

_A few minutes later after taking a brief walk for the fresh air Toph stuck her nose back in the room. "Why are you making that stuff anyway?"_

"_Because that Blue Spirit almost saw my face. And if he can get that close then he or someone else can do so again. I'll not be baring my identity without a fighting chance."_

"_And if it blinds him and he gets caught, then how would you feel."_

_Katara looked away. "A thief must always expect the net, how else do they avoid it? If he is unprepared for the net then he is not a worthy thief and I shalln't need to bother with him."_

_Toph sighed. She knew in her heart that should Katara be the cause of his capture she would not rest until she had him freed. The guilt would eat her alive if she didn't. She whispered the word, "Liar." before leaving again._

_Toph poked her head back in again. "I'm going to go see if I can get some info on those remaining paintings." Then she left not to come back for hours._

_Katara went back to working on the paint, she was almost to the end of adding the ingredients. The paint would turn red after the next few ingredients._

_While she was out Toph wandered listening to random people gossip about random things. She was hoping to catch Zuko in the act again, but she got distracted. Someone who's steps she knew well was strolling ahead. And he was alone._

_She smirked. 'Mai Ling' was about to have fun._

_The boy was distracted and didn't notice her as she passed him. Or when she tripped him. Out of instinct he tucked and twirled along the ground. He was soon upright again. _

"_Very graceful, Twinkle-toes. Are you a closet dancer or something?"_

_He turned towards her with a jerk. "Mai Ling!" Aang rubbed his arm awkwardly. "You saw that?"_

"_No." She waved her hand before her eyes. "But I felt you trip over me and could hear you tumble. And then stand again."_

"_Your ears are that strong?" he asked awed._

"_Of course."_

"_Wow… Mai Ling you're amazing!"_

"_I know." 'Mai Ling' said smugly._

_Walking through the shopping district with Aang was interesting. "Aang don't you have errands to run or something? Aren't you in a hurry?"_

"_No. I get to take a break day once a month. Sure, I have to get a few things but they can wait until closer to closing time." Aang smiled a sheepish smile at her. "So I'm free to spend the day with you Mai Ling." A feeling that can't be explained told 'Mai Ling' that Aang would like to add 'isn't that great!' but he wanted to come off as uninterested. 'Mai Ling' thought, 'Twinkle-Toes you foolish boy.'_

_Aang spotted a store that he thought 'Mai Ling' might like because of the tough looking statues it housed. She would be able to see them with her hands. So he pulled 'Mai Ling' over to it._

_First thing he did is pick up a seven or eight inch tall stone dragon statue and place it in 'Mai Ling's' hands. "What do you think of this Mai Ling?"_

_She knew what it was when he placed it in her hands but she felt it a little to give the illusion of trying to see what it is. "It is very detailed but there is a fault line that fractures from the center. One drop and a proud owner gets a puzzle with many pieces and buyers remorse."_

"_How can you tell that?"_

"_A little indentation that doesn't work with the art. Why are you asking me?"_

"_I came her looking for a gift for my sister's upcoming marriage. I was asked by my mother to buy them a home protector. So I have to find the right statue." He paused and blushed. "I-I-I l-like spending time-m with y-you and trust your s-super-r judgment."_

_She punched him, hard. "You sound like monkey-bird stuttering over your words like that."_

_He blushed harder and ducked his head._

"_Suck it up Twinkle-Toes. I'll help you fine the prefect guardian for your sister's new home."_

_Before they left that little shop 'Mai Ling' must have held every statue in that place. And Aang came out with a well wrapped stone figure, 'Mai Ling' had found one in his price range that was very unlikely to shatter if dropped. It even had two small yellow gems for eyes._

_Then they moved on and this time 'Mai Ling' lead them to where they were going next. "Twinkle-Toes I'm going to teach you a fine art…"_

'_Why do I get the feeling we're going to do something my mother will get mad at me for?' thought Aang as 'Mai Ling' 'blindly' led him through the streets with that amazing, avoiding ability of hers._

'_Mai Ling' could tell that there was a place her parents would die if they knew she could tell what it was, ahead. She sighed. It was the worst establishment open this early, she was a little surprised it was open, but that didn't stop her. _

"_Uh… Mai Ling that's a…"_

"_I know Twinkle-Toes. And that's where we're going."_

"_Oh boy, my mother's going to kill me. Right after my father does." He stared wide eyed up at the sign while going under it._

"_Relax Twinkle-Toes if you parents find out you can tell them you followed me here."_

"_I did follow you here."_

"_Exactly."_

"_I'm dead."_

"_Well if we're dead, then the spirit world is a delightful place." She grinned at him and snickered in her mind._

_Aang looked at her like she had gone insane._

_31103110311031103110311031103110311031103110311031103110311031103110311031103110311031103110_

_Here's my gift to you for Halloween, the second chapter I put up today. Enjoy!_

_I hope to have the next one ready soon… No promises. Good night and Happy Halloween!_


	13. If You Win

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Air-bender, the very talented team of Mike and Brain own the show and characters. The rating maybe wrong but I did try to get it right.

By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescentmoon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.

**When Ice and Lava Meet**

**Chapter Thirteen**

Aang asked her if she was crazy and all she said was, "Relax Twinkle-Baby, we're not here for the alcohol." She said 'Twinkle-Baby' like she thought he was too old to be acting like such a child.

Aang breathed a sigh of relief. "We're not? Then why are we here?"

'Mai Ling' pointed with a dramatically happy smile, "That."

Two men were sitting at a table of wood glaring at each other and sizing the other up for the game they were about to play. A busty barmaid was leading the cheering for her 'champion'. But most of the men standing around them were routing for the other guy.

"Arm wrestling?" his eyebrows scrunched together.

"No, to wager our skills for money." she said sarcastically.

"You mean arm wrestling?"

"Yes, Twinkle-Toes. Keep up to speed."

She marched up and pretended interest in a game but she already could tell who would win. "Five silver on that Benji guy."

"Are you sure little lady?" asked the guy she said that to. "The other guy is brawnier."

"I'm blind, I'm going by the sound of their names and I like the sound of Benji better. Anyway, why are you complaining if you win you're getting my money."

"Good point. Okay little lady, I'll take on that bet."

She smiled. "Good, you'd be a fool not to."

Three seconds later she collected her winnings. Then she said, "I'll give these ten silver coins to whoever can beat me in arm wrestling. You wont even have to place any money against it." She was doing this for fun not profit, at least not today.

"Mai Ling…" Aang whispered uneasily.

"Not now Twinkle-Toes."

Aang sighed and watched anxiously. And she won every time.

A bulky man everyone called Frustration sat down for the fifth time, determined to beat the 'blind brat' when she stood up. "I'm taking a break. My friend will take over."

"What!" exclaimed Aang. "I can't do this. I'm not strong like you…" His embarrassed rant was cut short by 'Mai Ling' pushing him into her chair. He swallowed.

Because she wanted to tease her male friend 'Mai Ling' leaned down and whispered in his ear. "If you win this, I'll give you a kiss."

Aang's pale face went paler, then it switched to a bright red. Following that a huge smile broke out. Only to be replaced by a doubtful, determined stare when he remembered the size of his opponent.

'Mai Ling' was biting her lip to keep from laughing. Aang was so fun to tease, his reactions were priceless. 'I just hope his defeat doesn't hurt too much.' she thought, but she was still trying not to laugh.

While she was still fighting her own laughter the match was happening. And it was the ending of the match that brought 'Mai Ling' back to herself.

Aang won. In a quick victory, he won! Aang didn't win because of his own strength but because of his own determination. And his air-bender approach. He realized that this man's strength was severely diminished when his arm was at a slightly longer angle than the normal arm wrestling stance. Thus he won by looking at it from a different angle.

'Mai Ling' was shaken. It was unlikely for someone to win when all signs pointed to lose. It was unheard of for someone to trick her abilities as a true earth-bender, the kind the watches and listens. Yet Aang had.

Swallowing down the shock was a hard thing for 'Mai Ling' but she managed to do so fairly quickly. She noted that everyone else in the bar was stunned still, even the victor.

"Aang you did it!" she crowed, "Go Twinkle-Toes! You the man!"

That snapped everyone out of the shock and they began congratulating him. The big man he had arm wrestled against folded his arms on the table and buried his head in them. He was beat by two young kids in the same day. He would never get the respect he was used to NOW.

Taking a deep breath 'Mai Ling' drew herself up to her full, short height, with her hands on her hips. "Hey Twinkle-Toes…" she called loudly as she marched over to the now standing sixteen year old. Everyone quieted and thought that she was going to poke him in the chest and demand a try at arm wrestling him.

She got near him and everyone held their breath, her look was one of determination. 'Mai Ling' placed one hand on either side of his face and hauled his face to hers. Then she flipped one hand to the back of his head and crushed their lips together aggressively. She gave him a bruising yet chaste kiss. A kiss that lasted so long it mocked those around them that needed air. Aang's eyes remained wide with shock for the whole thing.

But that didn't stop the whistled wolf calls, the rowring catcalls, the homely barmaid from screaming and then covering her mouth and giggling, or the shouts of 'Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!' and 'Get a room!'

When the fifteen year old let Aang go she smiled triumphantly at his dazed, overwhelmed and shocked look. He was also blushing like mad. She could tell this, and the I'm-going-to-faint heart rate of her friend, through her feet and the one hand that was now holding him up.

"Wow!" He now had a goofy grin coving his face. "I didn't expect that!" Then he slid to the floor with one arm held by 'Mai Ling'. Thankfully he was still awake.

'Mai Ling' licked her bruised and swollen lips suddenly filled with womanly pride and a maidenly feeling that was a mix of enchantment and a little embarrassment and some unknown substance. 'What an awesome first kiss.' she thought a small blush forming, not dark enough to alert anyone. 'I refused to let it be one of those awkward, shy kisses that those giggly, school girls give to their beaus. And I was so right.' She bit her lip and shifted her sightless eyes towards Aang who was getting noogied by a patron of the bar. 'Kissing's great. I should do it again, soon.' She burst out laughing, it had bubbled and exploded.

While 'Mai Ling' was thinking to herself Aang had announced, because his mind was numb, that he never had been kissed before but he liked it. The bar roared with laughter. Aang blushed and was pulled away from his 'girlfriend', as the others called her, was passed along to be teased and noogied by the small group.

Soon enough they were pushed out of the building together and were told to 'Go have fun, you crazy lovebirds.' And that was followed by raunchious laughing.

The silence was uncomfortable as they walked away.

Eventually Aang got up the nerve to speak. "Mai Ling I…"

"Stow it!" She cut him off with a hand in his face. "I kissed you because you won, that is all. My mother always told me 'A lady keeps her promises and so will you.' And that's what I did." Then she marched away fast.

Aang jogged behind her. He was hurt but he understood. He declined to lose her friendship over a kiss she felt obligated to give him. Aang caught up to her and caught her arm. Looking into her eyes although that would mean nothing to her he said, "Mai Ling, Mai Ling please say we're still friends."

"Of course we are, Idiot-Head." To push that in she rapped him on the head a few times.

They spent the rest of the day stopping in shops and 'Mai Ling' teased some people. Okay a lot of people, mostly Aang.

Katara left the apartment to find Toph about an hour before sundown.

As she walked in the pourer part of town, getting closer to the shops she saw someone she didn't expect. He was… he looked despondent. "Iroh?"

"Ah young Miss Jen! It is good to see you!" He smiled at her.

She shook her head unable to forget the look on his face moments before. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong."

"Please don't lie to me."

Iroh sighed. "I wanted better than this for Zuko… He is such a good boy but I fear he is going to get hurt or in trouble… for me. He's trying so hard to make our lives better, but I don't think what he thinks is better really is."

"What do you mean?"

Iroh sighed, "He wants to get us out of this part of town." He stopped there.

'Jen's' eyebrows drew together as she looked around this neighborhood was a little better off than where she lived but not much. It was still a borderline poverty area. The line was just thicker here than the apartment she and Toph kept. "I don't see what's wrong with wanting out of this area… It's a dangerous place. The homes are rundown, it stinks, most of the people are hopeless, even the children. And everything is in horrid condition. Just look at the building behind you it's crumbling at the top." She thought, 'At lease it's only the top.'

"I mean that I think he needs to find peace within himself first. Without it the hunger for more and better with never be satisfied. Every time I think he's almost accepted his true self he takes a step backwards."

"What happened?"

"He stole this, and gave it to me today." He pulled a silver spoon, hand carved and glorious, from his robe.

"It's beautiful. But it's not right to steal. One shouldn't take something that belongs to another."

"I agree. But now I don't know what to do. If I take it back to where he got it we could both get in trouble but I don't feel right about keeping it."

"I don't know what to tell you." She paused. "I'll pray the spirits grant you with help." She patted his arm in reassurance. "Or… I could take it back for you."

"Really?"

"Yes. I have an idea about how to get it back without suspicion. If you'll let me."

"Do you mind if I come and watch?"

"No. In fact you can help." 'Jen' smiled at him.

* * *

Hello everyone, I know I'm a couple of days late. I'm sorry. I was pretty busy.

Thanks to all my reviewers: Kaydreams (at fanfiction(.)net), allyonshinezutara and phili91 (from deviantART). Thank you all.

Kaydreams don't feel bad, I put both of the last chapters up on the same day. But if you really feel that bad about it you can go back and review that one too. =D hehehe!

Okay I want to announce that I am also starting another contest! (I fell in love with making contests! XD) Anyway this contest is an art and story making contest using couples from Avatar, Inuyasha and From Far Away. To check it out go to http://opal-dreams()deviantart()com/journal/ (take out the () and put .) . I'm sure it will be a lot of fun. There will be many categories and so there will also be many winners (hopefully 3 for every category.). And if you want to participate but you don't want to compete I am also looking for donations for prizes and judges. It's a Christmas contest so the deadline is the 25 of December. Please let anyone you know who may be interested know. For Fanfiction(.)net people I will try to remember to put a link in my profile.

Also my I Spy contest finally has a winner (weeks ago). And she/he wanted a short story. It is called The Karma of Metamorphose. I hope to get it up tonight as well. So be on the look out for it.

Bye! I will try to have the next chapter up soon hopefully next week. But if not I WON'T rest on Christmas Eve until it's up. *Waves*


	14. Simply Stolen

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Air-bender, the very talented team of Mike and Brain own the show and characters. The rating maybe wrong but I did try to get it right. **

**By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescentmoon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.**

**Chapter Fourteen**

From the top of a building in the richer part of the shopping district Zuko watched his uncle and 'Jen.' walk down the street. They parted when 'Jen' stopped to look at a vender's wares. She was looking at a clay pot, painted with Fire-Lilies. She spoke to the vender for a minute but didn't buy the pot.

While 'Jen' talked, Iroh walked along alone. No one noticed him drop something discreetly in front of a silver shop. Zuko saw it though, a flash of sliver. 'Where did uncle get silver?' thought Zuko.

Then 'Jen' walked the same way Iroh did. She found the silver thing; Zuko couldn't tell what it was. She took it into the silver shop and came out a few minutes later munching on a small flat cake.

When she was inside the silver shop 'Jen' told the people there that she had found the spoon outside the shop and asked them if they lost it. In return for her 'honesty' in returning it, they gave her a small flat cake of bread. So she accepted it. They wanted to give her tea too but she refused. She didn't want to be surrounded by the glowing silver. It was very beautiful.

'Jen' still needed to find Toph because they had agreed to buy dinner at a cheap diner that night.

She found Toph because she heard a laugh that said, I-am-an-awesome-genius, which could only come from Toph. One might wonder why Toph was laughing in such a way, well so was Katara.

Katara went down an alleyway that was not very wide at all. Toph was sitting alone laughing. A huge smile graced her lips. "What's so funny Mai Ling?" Katara asked incase someone overheard them.

"Oh Jen! You have good timing. Look what I just stole off some soldiers."

There before Katara's eyes was a poster of the Blind Bandit. It was a very good poster at that. The only real difference between what Toph looked like now and on the poster was that Toph didn't have her bangs in her face now. She never did unless she was scamming.

"T..!" She almost yelled Toph's name. She caught herself and whispered fiercely, "Mai Ling, do you have any idea how dangerous that was? Just having that poster is dangerous to both of us. And if someone sees you close to it, he may realize it's you on it. You have to get rid of it. We'll take it home and burn it. Give it to me."

"No!"

"Toph!" she hissed. "If we're caught with that we'll both be put in jail."

"I'm not burning it." Before Katara could complain 'Mai Ling' said, "I'll bury it, under someone's house. How's that?"

'Jen' sighed. "Fine. Do as you wish. Just put it away before someone notices us down here." Jen stood up. "Let's go get some dinner."

Back when 'Mai Ling' was wandering around with Aang they had seen a group of soldiers.

"Hey Aang, what are those soldiers doing?"

"They're looking for someone."

"Who?"

"I'll be right back." He snuck over to see the picture on the poster. When he got back he said, "They're looking for the Blind Bandit… She looks a lot like you. You could be twins."

"Really?" Then looking down 'Mai Ling' said, "I guess that must be what happened to my cousin."

"Your cousin?"

"Yeah. When I was a little girl I had a half Earth Kingdom cousin, she looked a lot like me. People said we looked a lot a like as kids. Perhaps we still do. They were disinherited because of the Earth Kingdom woman my uncle married."

"I didn't know that."

"That's because I was told never to speak of her. That branch of the family is in dishonor." 'Mai Ling' lied.

"Oh." Aang looked down.

"Aang, we must get that wanted poster from the soldiers. I could be arrested in her place."

"Okay I'll just…" He started to walk away in a manner that everyone who saw him would know he was trying to be sneaky.

'Mai Ling' grabbed his shoulder. "Twinkle-Toes how about you distract them and I'll get it."

"But how will you find it?"

"Don't think on it Twinkles. I'll manage."

Aang looked at her worriedly. It was easy to tell that he was thinking 'Am I going to get her put in jail?'

"Just go Twinkle-Toes. After I get the poster you are to go home. If they think you had anything to do with this then you would be in trouble too."

"… Okay." He turned back to the soldiers and started walking nervously over.

"Aang," she called to him, "If you pull this off, I'll be in your debt."

"No, if we pull this off I think we'll be even." Then he ran over and sped his speech to an incomprehensible rush. He certainly got their attention. The soldiers tried to get him to talk in a way they could understand but it didn't work.

While he was talking that way 'Mai Ling' walked behind the soldiers. Aang talked even faster and louder to make himself a bigger spectacle. His heart almost stopped when she was behind the soldier who had the paper. All he could think of was how he hoped she wouldn't get caught. He prayed so fervently that he had no idea what was coming out of his mouth. But it was working whatever it was because the soldiers were focused on him.

'Mai Ling' got the paper without even a hint of someone noticing. Then she ducked into an alley.

Two seconds after she disappeared Aang said a hurried, "I got to go." Then he ran away. He ran home, just as 'Mai Ling' had asked.

Toph who wasn't really too far away smiled when she felt that the soldiers weren't going after him. They were just confused at the strange kid. The soldiers simply scratched their heads and acted like the confused idiots they were.

Then she slipped away until she got to a safe distance. When she got there Toph just had to laugh. Her laugh led Katara to her.

Late that evening after listening to Zuko sneak back into their apartment Iroh blinked and thought of what that day's adventure had taught him. While listening to Zuko bed down Iroh thought, 'Maybe Mai Ling isn't the Blind Bandit. Jen would have just said she'd pray about it if she was… But I am so certain that Mai Ling is an earth-bender, just as Jen is a water-bender. It's in the way they walk. Every movement says what they are if you've trained yourself to see it. They must be hiding but it seems they're not hiding Mai Ling's thievery.' Iroh's thoughts paused at his next thought. 'Then again maybe Jen doesn't know. She's not the type to approve of thievery. She's not the type to harbor a criminal, blind or not. How can I know for sure? Is Mai Ling the Blind Bandit or is she a normal, yet earth-bending, blind girl?' Iroh drifted to sleep before he could answer his own questions.

* * *

Hi everyone! Don't kill me; I am very sorry for the lateness of this chapter. Between getting sick, studying and my personal demons (called procrastination and writer's block) among other things this chapter is very late. And I am very sorry. I will try to get the next chapter up within a month. But I can promise nothing, sorry.

Quick Fact: Aang believes 'Mai Ling' is a Fire Nation girl that is why Toph said her uncle was disowned for marrying an Earth Kingdom girl.

Thank you to all my reviewers, Kaydreams from fanfiction(.)net, Mannie258, phili91, zutararules777 and zutara-fan-forever from deviantART. Thank you everyone.

In other news I have two contests going one is just guessing how I would cast in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and the other is fanart/fanfiction fairytales. For more information either go to my deviantART journal pages or find my link on my profile (fanfiction{}net people). (Sorry to any who may be reading this on mediaminer but because I don't know if you exist I'm not going to bother linking it. Sorry.)

Please read and review. Thank you. Goodbye.


	15. Too Close to a Lady

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Air-bender, the very talented team of Mike and Brain own the show and characters. The rating maybe wrong but I did try to get it right.

By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescentmoon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.

**Chapter Fifteen**

For the next few days 'Mai Ling' was very despondent. One day she said she was going to visit Aang. The week was nearly over and she'd only gotten to see one fight between Katara and Zuko that whole time! When she made it out of Aoi Falls Toph yelled, "I can't stand this! I must get them together again! I need to see them fight! We haven't even had any reports of someone needing help with a rich boar lately!"

Toph ran around the edge of the city back between the two waterfalls. She knew that it didn't help that she hadn't really had any good earth-bending exercise for some time. So she pounded the earth into many different shapes. Until she felt as close to giddy as she'd ever come.

Later that day around two and a half hours 'til sunset 'Mai Ling' sauntered back into town. A huge, content smile graced her face. She stretched one arm after the other over her head and yawned. Her clothes, which Katara had modified from her own 'fortune teller' wardrobe for her, shifted nicely.

'This was a great day!' Toph thought as she walked back towards her smelly apartment. 'Just a few more days at most and that smell wont cause my eyes to water. I can't even think of anything that could make this day better.'

On her way there she heard a man talking of a deal he had recently made with a spirit. The man was so drunk that Toph talked to him. Toph talked to him without fear. Thus she got the whole story from the man.

This man was one of the wealthiest men in town. He was a man who traded in metals and had a promising future. He even had hopes of his daughter marring into the nobility of the Fire Nation. The man's tell was largely boring and very slurred to Toph. Thus she tuned it out. But when he said what she could only guess was, "So, I had no choice but to contact the Blue Spirit. I'm so desperate!"

"I was so wrapped up in your tell of woe that I have forgotten, what is it that you needed the Blue Spirit to do?"

"That foul spirit! He's charging me more then that hunk of metal is worth to retrieve it!" He meant of course that the metal itself was worth less then he was paying for the important object's return.

"And what is it that he is to retrieve?"

"My family's seal!" the golden eyed man sobbed. "Without that my family could come to ruin! Foul spirit is what he is! The man who stole it could forge letters and documents from me! The wretch!"

"Do you know who has it?'

The man laughed, "Heh! I have nothing but suspicion!"

'Mai Ling' with false anxiety said, "I will pray for you. I must hurry home before the sunsets. It gets dangerous after the sun goes down. You should go too."

"I can care for myself." Yet the man stumbled off towards the rich neighborhood.

Toph rushed off to find if maybe she could get any information from Zuko without talking to him.

She couldn't. Thankfully she had a backup plan.

Toph went home and told Katara that she had a new case for the Painted Lady but they had to wait for the right time. But she had to be prepared because the right time could come any time this or another night soon.

Katara shrugged and got ready while Toph told her what she would be going after. She put on her new paint. The familiarity of it was calming.

Zuko sighed as he shifted out of his bed. He thought he was tricking his uncle by leaving after the man was asleep. But he didn't know that his uncle didn't sleep until he got back. This night was his third mission this week. But it was also the last. He'd take a small break after this night.

Soon he was creeping on the stones paving the roads. Unknown to him he tipped someone off. He was being followed underground by two young females.

The Painted Lady blindly followed Blind Bandit. She trusted her blind friend. Yawning and stretching in the darkness. She smiled. A night or two more and everyone in the pit would be healed. It was a nice feeling to know that you helped saved so many lives.

This night Toph opened a hole in the ground in the garden of a man who wanted to appear rich. "Good luck Sugar-Queen."

"Thanks." The Painted Lady nodded at her before running into the building.

When she got into the library, the most likely place for a seal, she saw the Blue Spirit was already there. And so was the owner of the home. The owner was trying to bribe the Blue Spirit into not taking the seal. But he said nothing; he only advanced on the man who clutched the seal.

The Painted Lady smiled. They were distracting each other. 'This is perfect. It's time for a rematch Blue-Boy.'

The pour man's heart was thumping hard. His vision had tunneled on the masked man before him. The Blue Spirit walked toward him slowly. With each step the Blue Spirit seemed to grow bigger, it wasn't true but the pour guy saw it that way. Fear was rocking him as he continued to try to talk the Blue Spirit out of his prize. When the Blue Spirit was just over an arm's length away the all too human man couldn't feel anything but his heart shacking his whole world.

Then something flashed before his eyes and Blue Spirit was clutching the side of his head. He looked into the home owner's arms, the seal was gone.

The Blue Spirit cursed under his breath and ran towards the door. The edge of red fabric fluttered past the frame. The Blue Spirit followed it. He couldn't tell who it was but the Blue Spirit could guess.

Sure enough, when he got out into the garden the lovely spirit known as the Painted Lady was waiting for him.

"Why are you after my quarry?"

She only smiled at him and held up the large ornate seal as if to ask, 'This?'

"Give that to me." He put out his hand and started walking towards her.

The Painted Lady held it to her chest and shook her head. She was still smiling that pretty, teasing smile. Her dark brown hair seemed to say to him, 'This spirit is not to be touched by any but our silky fingers.' It was odd.

"You don't understand." He stepped closer. "I need that. I don't want to live forever like a rat-pentapus in the sewer or as a thieving gopher-rat."

Her voice was low, hard to hear but it almost suited her. Strangely it sounded like it was just too low for the spirit it came from. "You are profiting off the misfortune of others. It is not right."

"And why shouldn't I?"

"Because everyone falls into hard times, you cannot expect someone to help you if you do not help others in their misfortune. It's karma."

"Believe me I know, I am in hard times now. Please give it to me."

"No."

"Then I will have to take it from you." He lunged at her.

She stepped to the side. But having learned from last time as she did this she made sure the place where she had stood before was covered in black ice. The Blue Spirit slipped and slid until he stopped upside down at the base of a tree.

"Good night, Blue Spirit." she called lowly from where she was. He got up and ran towards her again. She stepped back. She appeared to fall. But when he got there, there was nothing, not even the scar of recently turned earth. Chills raised the hairs on his arm as he thought, 'Maybe she is the real deal.'

That very night the Painted Lady snuck into the house of the man who was missing his family's seal. She placed it next to the drunken, sleeping man on his pillow. Then she returned to the house she stole it from and shot another Panda-Lily into the door.

Following that she quietly went once again to The Pit. There were only a few people left in comparison to how many there was the first time she went to The Pit. She got to over half of the people. She left again before the sun rose.

The Painted Lady yawned and stretched when she entered Katara and Toph's apartment. She was so very tired. She changed into a white under dress that she used as a nightgown. It was long and plain. After she had it on she blew out the candle Toph had left lit for her.

Crawling into bed she whispered good night to the world and the spirits.

After losing to the Painted Lady Zuko fumed all the way home. If he ever met the Painted Lady again she would lose to him, even if they had nothing to fight over. He would make sure of it.

When Zuko had his apartment in his sights the moon shown into his eyes. And he put his arm up to block the light. In one eye it only blocked tentacles of light. The shadows from his black gloved hand reminded him of lady hair. He had a flash of a scene, a scene he had tried to bar from his mind. There in the flash of memory was a woman; he could see mostly her back and a glimpse of the skin of her cheek. Her red and pink clothes were then hidden from view by a head of darker hair. But he could barely even see that. Zuko was too focused on the taller woman. Her hair was so long that he couldn't see the end of it because of her friend. She wore it mostly down, except for the top layer that was pulled up into the traditional Fire Nation topknot. The hair was a dark brown that shown in the sun with mahogany streaks. It blew in the afternoon breeze and cast a shadow nearly as wonderful as it itself was.

Zuko shook his head at the memory. 'Why did she come up? I was thinking of how mad I am at the Painted Lady. Maybe it's because every time I meet either female the end result is a fight… They're both stubborn shrews.' Zuko smiled at that. 'They would either get along very well or tear each other's eyes out.' Zuko's smile turned into a large grin. He began to snicker.

He entered his apartment in a good mood. His mood was much better than it should have been after his loss.

The next day 'Mai Ling' and 'Jen' dropped in on his uncle at the tea shop. Zuko, who was sitting sleepily at a table, sunk down when he saw them enter. He was lucky that 'Mai Ling' was feeling generous at the moment. She didn't lead 'Jen' straight to him but chose a seat on the other side of the shop. Zuko could see them even with his head resting on the table.

When 'Jen' turned to look around for Iroh, Zuko got almost the same view of her as his memory the night before. His eyes widened at the picture. His heart sped up a little too. 'Mai Ling' looked over at him curiously. But he didn't notice. He was again reminded of the day he and his uncle saved the two girls. Yet the memory didn't make him feel distain like it usually did. It was a little confusing.

Iroh stepped between him and the girls and he stopped staring. 'Something is off here.' Zuko thought. He got up to leave and got captured by 'Mai Ling'. He should have seen her coming, but he hadn't.

She grabbed his arm. "Come sit with us Zuko."

"I'd rather not."

"Too bad. I wasn't really giving you the choice." She grinned at him. "Jen was just saying the other day how much she missed you." What Katara had actually said was that she hoped he broke his leg so he wouldn't be able to cause Iroh worry over what he was doing.

"I'm not going to believe that." He tried to keep his voice from sounding embarrassed. It worked, but 'Mai Ling' had a better source of judgment. She could tell he was blushing out of embarrassment.

'Mai Ling' teased him in a knowing way, "Maybe not. But you wish you can, don't you?"

His cheeks went redder and he pulled his arm away. "I really can't go sit with you. I have to leave. I'm very busy."

"Lair. You're just too embarrassed because I caught onto your secret wish."

"No, I'm not! I'm not because I don't have any such secret wish!"

"Sure you don't…" She smiled and thought, 'It's so fun to mess with him.'

"I don't, Mai Ling!"

"I know. That's what makes you reaction to the claim that much more funny."

Zuko slapped his forehead. 'Mai Ling' dragged him off to the table where 'Jen' sat with their tea.

"Drat! I was hoping you wouldn't come." 'Jen' said sourly.

"I'm not thrilled to be here with you either. I'm only here because your blind cousin is my friend." 'Sort of, if you can call her teasing and threatening me a friendship.'

"Yeah. You're a bad influence. It's no wonder she likes you."

"I'm not a bad influence!"

"Sure you aren't." she said in a disbelieving tone.

"I'm not. I'm a good guy."

"You can be a bad influence and still be a sort of good guy. But you can never be a great man." 'Jen' said it so calmly that it really stung his ego. She sat there and didn't even bat an eye while insulting him.

Zuko clenched his teeth and snarled, "I'll show you a great man!" He leaned over her glaring. All the costumers stopped what they were doing to see how this would pan out.

'Jen' questioned as she looked up at him, "Are you threatening me?"

"Yes."

"Good." She picked up her tea and calmly took a sip.

Zuko was confused. "What?"

She looked back up at him. "You just proved my point. Only a bad influence would threaten a lady." People they had never even met gasped at her audacity.

'Mai Ling' had to hold back her snickering so she could hear what would happen next.

"You wouldn't know a great man if he married you!" he hissed in her face.

'Jen's' eyebrow twitched a little bit. Her next statement would be a doozy. 'Jen' whispered to him, "Don't get so close to a lady, unless you want her to kiss you."

Zuko flew backwards like someone cut a rope he was climbing up. His face was utterly full of shock.

'Mai Ling's' super fine-tuned ears were the only ones that heard what 'Jen' had whispered. And all she could do was cover her slacking mouth while she tried to laugh around her shock.

After a long moment of staring at the floor Zuko looked up at 'Jen'. 'Jen' smiled her victory at him. Yet he couldn't see that all he could see was the sparkle in her eyes. And her lips, dark and shining, pulled into a smile, mixing that with her words of kissing meant doom to his sanity. Zuko got up and fled down the steps of the tea shop. He didn't look where he was going until he was out of city limits.

'Jen' laughed after he left. She only said it to get Zuko to back off. Zuko's reaction was very funny, and she did get what she wanted. Still her face heated up because of the action she had basically told Zuko to do. She had known he wouldn't do it, more she had hoped he wouldn't do it. Yet now her mind was full of thoughts of kissing Zuko. 'Jen' bit her lip, her smile was gone. Her heart pounded hard and her cheeks got even redder. She could feel the redness traveling down her neck. Her lips began to tingle like they had fallen asleep. 'This is not good.'

She decided then that she would avoid Zuko until she was sure that she wouldn't think of kissing him.

Zuko was thinking the same thing. He wouldn't go to the tea shop and avoid her if he saw her in the streets. Zuko sat down under a tree and hung his head. He surpassed the redness of his faded clothes by many shades.

* * *

This chapter is a present to keep everyone out there from skinning me for being so late.

To repeat I have two contests going one is just guessing how I would cast in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and the other is a fanart/fanfiction fairytales contest. For more information either go to my deviantART journal pages or find my link on my profile (fanfiction{}net people). These contests do have prizes but no entries so far. Feel free to check them out and enter. (Sorry to any who may be reading this on mediaminer but because I don't know if you exist I'm not going to bother linking it. Sorry.)

Quick Fact: All of Toph and Katara's clothing, aside from Katara's special Painted Lady outfit, is from Katara's fortunetelling clothes. The man who provided for Katara before she met the Blind Bandit insisted she look the part. So Katara remade her wardrobe to better suit quiet living after she and Toph fled.

Please review. Bye-Bye for now.


	16. A Game of Master Thief

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Air-bender, the very talented team of Mike and Brain own the show and characters. The rating maybe wrong but I did try to get it right.

By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescentmoon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.

**Chapter Sixteen**

It had been over a month since Katara and Zuko last saw each other. The summer weather had settled in, still spring wasn't over yet. The days were so hot and humid. It promised to be an extremely hot summer.

Toph was in a bad mood. She didn't enjoy humidity, unlike her roommate. Plus she had really loved those fights. She couldn't even 'watch' them fight as the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit. She only found out about his missions after he had returned the item lately. It was adding to her bad mood. She hated being in the dark like that.

The only things that kept her from hurting someone was teasing people, her scams and sneaking off the earth-bend every other day. Although she went to earth-bend yesterday if she didn't get some good news soon, she would leave to earth-bend again today. Or perhaps she'd just hurt someone. No, she needed to earth-bend and not put Katara through another 'daring escape from town.'

So when she heard a rumor from a very unreliable person she jumped on it. The rumor this gossip-monger was spreading was that an honorable lady had a necklace that her husband gave her stolen by a fishmonger. Not only that but that the Blue Spirit had been contacted to return it before her husband came home from a long meeting with the Fire Lord.

The rumor was amazingly enough mostly true. But the thief wasn't a fishmonger but an ex-blacksmith who married an old rich lady. He stole the necklace from around her neck when she refused him He planned to show it to her husband when he returned and claim she gave it to him so he wouldn't tell anyone about a secret love affair she was having with his messenger boy.

Truly she was a very faithful woman and she feared what her husband might do to her if he believed the dishonorable blacksmith. He would have every right to have her executed for not being faithful. The necklace would be all the proof the judge would need. If her husband believed that horrid man she would die in dishonor.

'Now,' thought Toph smugly, 'Is it true that Zuko has been asked to retrieve the necklace? How do I find out this time?'

Moving Toph went to sit by the estate of the unfortunate woman. She hoped maybe a servant or the lady herself would walk around talking about it. She would settle for someone mumbling to themselves about it. Toph sat there for three hours before anything interesting happened.

"My lady! My lady! Mr. Daffodil is here!" cried a young maid as she rushed inside.

The lady of the house came out of her mansion glaring towards the gate. There a guard was holding back a well-dressed man with a commoner's accent.

"What do you want Mr. Daffodil?" she sneered. She was a young woman and it looks like she had a fierce temper. Yet it was evident that she was lacking the physical strength to back it up.

The man smiled deviously. "I came to inform you that if you don't call off your hired spirit then I will leave town."

"Good!" she snapped at him.

"You didn't let me finish. I will leave town and go straight to you husband." He laughed at her stricken face. "Of course my 'other' offer still stands."

"I would rather die for committing the crime, than commit it!"

"Even if I offer you the assurance of you life?"

"You are a coward and a crook! All your promises are nothing but deceptions! You lack the honor required to fulfill your promise. And yet you still sink deeper. You lack the honor of even a lowly chicken-pig boy." She then backed away two steps. "Take this wretch away. He is a disgrace and is not welcome here."

"You'll regret this when you hang!" he yelled back to her. "Expect you're husband's wrath when you see him next!"

She whispered, "I will never regret being honorable." The lady stood up tall and proud, until he was out of site. Then the poor girl sunk to the ground and her maids helped her into the building. She had exhausted herself in her fury.

"My lady, I fear he will leave at first light. He may not even wait that long." whispered a maid who helped her mistress.

"I fear that also… Hasa take Dolo and find the Blue Spirit and inform him that there has been a change of plans, he needs to retrieve the necklace tonight." That was the last Toph heard. She had to strain her ears but she caught the words. It was all she needed to hear.

Toph followed the maid, Hasa and the servant, Dolo. They searched for a long time. Occasionally asking someone if they might know how to contact the Blue Spirit.

It was late and the sun was setting. They had looked all day and hadn't found the Blue Spirit. They did see a young blind woman in their path a lot but they never asked her. Yet she could have led them straight to the foolish boy. The boy who spent his nights playing a game of master thief.

Toph wanted to kick the servants in the head. They really shouldn't underestimate her just because she was obviously blind. But she knew that was the way of life. Many times she used the common underestimation to her advantage. It was just right now that the belittling way people ignored her or thought she was helpless that she despised. If she weren't undercover she would despise it very openly.

Finally the servants were heading back home and fortune smiled on them.

Toph, the superior blind girl, ran off and grabbed 'Sparky, leader of the not being where your needed gang' because he wasn't too far away.

"Uhh… Mai Ling where are you taking me?" Zuko asked as he set an expensive tea set down so the shop owner wouldn't call him a thief.

Toph pulled him down as they sped walked through a back road. "I know your secret Sparky. Well, one of you costumers wants to speak to you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your uncle told me remember. So don't play dumb. Now do a quick change before they get too far away." Toph pushed him roughly away. Zuko stumbled.

Zuko did as he was ordered. While he did he thought, 'I didn't know Uncle told her who I was thieving as. Come to think of it, I didn't know Uncle knew.'

Following Toph to the people was easy. Zuko was able to get them to pay him a rush service fee, in advance. The day was shaping up to be a very good day. In a few hours he would be returning a necklace and claiming a huge 'reward'. He smirked as he and Toph walked back the way they had come. He was once again in his street clothes. All was right in his world.

Toph hide her own grin. The day was certain to end in a pleasing way. All was right in her world. Toph celebrated her sure entertainment with a cup of tea served by her favorite old guy, Iroh the Great.

Later when she got home she and Katara had dinner. Katara was a great cook, most of the time. During their dinner Toph told Katara of the poor, helpless girl who would be falsely accused. Katara's sense of justice and right stampeded her mind and she agreed to help her without any prodding.

Fate or whatever controlled these things certainly was working in Toph's favor today. Things were looking up.

After sunset's bright shadows dissipated and the streets were calm Katara roamed the streets. Her disguise as the Painted Lady was as beautiful as it was the first night. Her homemade makeup was very smooth and more comfortable than the Fire Nation gunk she had been using. Tonight promised to be one of her best escapades ever.

Little did the Painted Lady know she was being followed by Toph, underground. Toph didn't want to miss a second of the new fight between the rested Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit.

The Blue Spirit with his horrible face snuck down the streets like the thief he was. When he made it to the gate he saw the guards were asleep. Things most defiantly were moving for his good tonight.

The Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit entered the house from different sides. The Blue Spirit came from the East and from the South the other spirit entered. When they entered the hall that led from one room and gave access to other rooms they were lured by a light. The light poured from a room and made anything beyond the light look like an endless, lightless tunnel.

That is how they came to surprise each other with their appearance out of the inky darkness. Both the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit stepped from the clinging dark matter at the same time.

"What are you doing here?" hissed the blue faced man.

The Painted Lady ignored him and started walking into the room the light emanated from. The Blue Spirit felt snubbed and that upset him. He spitefully pushed past the girl in his way.

"I've been waiting for you." said the voice of the woman standing behind the desk.

The Blue Spirit halted. He blocked the Painted Lady from view, temporarily.

"Hey, lookie here Hasa," The Painted Lady was vibrated with every sound the man who wrapped her arms around her expelled. "He brought a friend." The man laughed. The Spirit's arms were pinned to her sides.

"Oh, do be quiet Daffodil." Hasa said disrespectfully to Mr. Daffodil.

"If I'm correct it's the honorable Painted Lady. I wonder if she's as breathtaking as they say" He leaned down in a way that his breathe rolled in cold drafts across her neck.

The Painted Lady got the message and didn't like it. To spare herself, she did what she must. With one of her feet she kicked Mr. Daffodil's sword, in its sheath, into his shin. It happened to be a metal tipped sheath, and hit really hard. The man dropped her with a yelp.

Hasa rolled her eyes. "Can't you even keep a hold of a child? I swear you're even useless as muscle."

"What about your plan to marry me to this old woman for her money. I executed that perfectly."

Hasa said disdainfully, "So once in your life the spirits blessed you with a miracle."

"Twice in my life Hasa. They brought us together as well."

Hasa smiled. "And that is why a keep you around."

The woman didn't notice until he was right in front of her that the Blue Spirit had been sneaking up while they were talking.

He reached up to yank the necklace off her neck. Unfortunately she noticed in time and jumped back and out the open window she had prepared as an escape should it prove needful. The necklace still dangled around her neck. "No-no. This necklace is mine now." She touched the necklace as if to show it off. "It looks better on me then it ever did that sickly, little baby." Then she addressed the other man in the building. "Lo, catch that little one; I'll handle this big boy. We can hand them over to the Fire Squad together and gain a greater reward."

"Right." the big lug nodded.

The Blue Spirit leapt through the window. Then ran after Hasa as she ran off.

The Painted Lady ripped the curtain from the wall when Lo Daffodil charged her. She caught Lo in the curtain effortlessly. She tied the curtain rope around the bundle she made. When she let go he fell out the window.

The Painted Lady looked out at him surprised. He was struggling to untangle himself. His face was nowhere to be seen. The Painted Lady climbed onto the window seal and slipped gracefully onto the downed man's back.

After she made it safely to the ground she took off after the two departed souls. The Painted Lady watched them trade blows. She was waiting for the perfect moment to step in.

She waited too long. The Blue Spirit managed to rip the necklace from his opponent's neck. "See ya." He yelled as he began to run away.

The woman screeched. She unleashed her fire bending while his back was turned. Before this point she hadn't used it. "I didn't want to turn you in injured but I will!"

The Blue Spirit turned when he heard the fire coming but he wouldn't have been able to block it in time. He saw the water that sizzled it away. It shocked and relieved him.

Someone stepped between them. "Have you no honor at all?" questioned the younger woman of the two in a quiet voice. Her voice spoke on more levels then if she were yelling.

"Honor! Ha! Honor is something only the wealthy can afford!"

"You are wrong, honor is the only thing the poor cannot have taken from them." said the Painted Lady.

The Blue Spirit realizing that he could get away while this interaction was taking place turned to run.

When Hasa noticed him running away she yelled, "Lo! You fool, he is escaping!" Then she remembered the other spirit was still there. "I may have lost the chance at his reward, but I will not end this night empty-handed." She broke out a pair of handcuffs she was hiding on her person.

When the Blue Spirit didn't hear feet running after him he turned to see why he was not pursued. He saw the woman bring out the handcuffs and begin slipping closer to the unsuspecting spirit. He turned to continue running but his conscience pricked him. The Blue Spirit groaned and started running back.

'Ha! I've got her!' thought Hasa.

Here it is everyone. I'm sorry it took so long. I will try to be better about getting them out. Let me know what you think. Thanks.

Special thanks to all my reviewers; zutara-fan-forever, zutararules777, phili91, num1avatarfan, mannie258, aquadore, Annika-Kisha, monkeycrazyfish and Bambi428 from DeviantART and to Kaydreams and Alice Prince from fan fiction()net. Thanks a heap, if you all didn't give me your encouragement this chapter and all the chapters too come might not have been put up or even written.

Q&A: zutararules777 asked if Toph knows that Zuko is the Blue Spirit, the Answer is Yes she does, it goes with her abilities.

I have a QUESTION for KAYDREAMS, you said in you're last review that you were keeping score, what is the score now? (Previous score was Katara: 6 Zuko: 0)

If you all know what was to come in the next chapter you would flip out! It's that awesome! I lie not. =D

Please review. Thanks. Write again soon!


	17. A Subtle Smear of Red Paint

**Chapter Seventeen**

Just as the cuff was about to brush the Painted Lady's arm and lock her away the Blue Spirit jumped between the women. The handcuffs went flying as he had rammed them with his body.

For the first time that evening Hasa got a good look at the Blue Spirit. The eyes were deep, soulless, and black from the one corner to the other. Hasa felt a thrill of fear jolt her entire form. She dropped back falling to the ground.

The Blue Spirit dashed on and the Painted Lady followed him. They sprinted from one wealthy person's yard to another. A long chase commenced the Blue Spirit couldn't run fast enough to lose the Painted Lady. Yet the Painted Lady wasn't quick enough to catch up with him.

Suddenly the Blue Spirit found he was no longer being followed. He sighed and jumped atop a small hut that was the top level of a food storage for whomever this land belonged.

Turning the Blue Spirit looked behind him for the Painted Lady one last time. She wasn't there. 'I lost her, finally.' He turned around. He turned around smoothly on the flat roof that was tiled in a nice solid fashion. He was happy until he saw something he didn't expect.

The Painted Lady caught up to the Blue Spirit on the rooftop of a short flat roof, the roof of a cold food storage shed. "Hold it." she whispered at him as she stood in his way. The wall he meant to escape over behind her. Her veil and some of her hair blew in front of her. "I always repay my debts as soon as possible."

It was dark. It grew darker as clouds floated purposelessly between the earth and the moon. They were thin, wispy clouds that were something like a feather parasol, blocking little light.

"What?"

"You helped me, and I will repay you for it now." She lifted her hands towards his mask but he backed away and the Blue Spirit said a hurried and clenched, "No!"

"Worry not. I promise" she stepped towards him as she spoke. She reached up again and grasped his mask without ensuing a reaction aside from stopping his breathing. The Painted Lady pushed his mask straight up so the farthest down it covered was his nose. He breathed out as she breathed in.

Air no longer covered his lips because her lips replaced it. It was a chase kiss, it was a brief kiss. It left a subtle smear of red paint on his lips. When he opened his eyes they instantly watered from a smell that wafted from the girl before him. The special paint she used was doing its job.

The Painted Lady leaned in more and whispered in his scarred and covered ear, "That is only part of my gratitude to you; I will also keep secret your humanity, young human boy." With that the spirit woman slid back and then hopped over the wall behind her. She left his mask for him to pull back into place. His right hand was surprisingly empty. The sneaky Painted Lady had taken the long bejeweled strip of gold from his hand.

The man with only half of his face covered by the Blue Spirit mask knelled to the ground because of the wave of anger that overcame him. He gripped the tiles just inches from his knee. He took two complete pieces of the large tile and the wood beam beneath them from their places, with just his right hand. And then he brought the pieces that now were glowing a very light blue, a spiritual blue to his chest. His anger was gone and the light blue began to swirl lightly from the piece of roof he held. Strands of this blue fog flowed down around his hips, then waist, wrapping next around his bulky chest, dancing just above the large blue hands and golden claws that sprouted from them. Then it traversed his broad shoulders. Following that it slithered up more, around his neck. From the back of his head it twisted its way to below his blue nose and he breathed it in, his eyes were shut. So the human didn't yet notice the changes in himself. His blue mouth smiled wistfully and his white rimmed eyes opened. Once revealed, if anyone was there to witness it, the golden irises were haloed by bright blue as were the pupils. The demon faced spirit whipped the dark fabric from off the back of his head. The hair that was black before that fabric was placed on it was much the same, but now it outlined with a shimmering blue, a darker blue than his skin. The hair wanted to grow but without warning the transformation the human host went through was not only halted but reversed. The reversal caused him to shake slightly.

There stood Zuko his mask now completely covering his face and his hood pulled down, with a piece of the roof he was standing on in his hand. He looked down and saw that the piece came from right where one of the Painted Lady's feet had been when she kissed him.

Dropping the tile and wood in utter shock he noticed that beneath the dust of tile powder was bright red smudged on his black glove. Moving back his mask he lifted his hand and smelt again that smell that stung his eyes when she kissed him. The memory that smell instigated caused his heart to pound so as to fill his cheeks and neck with the hot substance. 'A spirit kissed me!' he thought. Looking at his glove again he added, 'And I kissed her back… Her paint is on my fingers'

He found a stream to wash his glove in before heading back to the small, rundown apartment that he shared with his uncle.

Meanwhile just after she landed on the other side of the wall the Painted Lady collapsed to her knees and then to the ground. She panted there for a moment before the earth gently slid her down into a cavern.

The Blind Bandit who had sensed just minutes earlier that she would be needed rushed down the long tunnel she had just made. Something was wrong. She had felt it. Her friend's heart was too big to be her own; it was too big to be even The Hippo's massive heart. She moved as fast as her earth-bending could propel her.

If she could see Toph would have seen the Painted Lady's hair now had a shimmering red outline even in this lightless place. That her irises were outlined with gold, the same went for her pupils. And when she coughed a small puff of gold fire puffed out.

Toph hesitated. Just as she was about to touch her friend's back all felt normal with her again. She was Katara again, her heart was the right size and she no longer shook with the force of each beat. Katara stood shakily and said to Toph, "I don't think I'll be able to deliver this tonight."

'What happened..?' Toph wondered still shaken.

It took almost a fourth of an hour for Toph to be released from her shaken state enough to have any thought of what to do now. Katara was slumped on the tunnel floor nearby, just breathing, not asleep but not really in the tunnel with the Blind Bandit either.

Toph took the liberty of delivering the necklace on herself. When they got where it belonged she walked up the sensible stone steps and placed the necklace on the doorstep.

Then she guided Katara, in her Painted Lady, garb home. They were silent the whole time.

"Okay," Toph snapped tired of the odd silence, "What's up?"

Eyes wide with innocent shock and heart running a marathon, Katara spoke. "I-I think I kissed the Blue Spirit"

Toph's lower jaw would have hit the floor if it wasn't firmly attached to her upper jaw. 'Just what does one say to that?' "W-What are you getting so worked up for? I-It was just a k-kiss right?"

"You don't understand Toph; I just kissed a complete stranger."

"So what. What does it matter if he's a stranger?

"You're kidding me right? It matters because… um… It's hard to explain… I've got it. Ladies don't just go kissing random strangers."

They got to their apartment. Toph still wasn't sure what to say. So she just let Katara drift off.

Something in the night air kept Toph awake. Soon she walked back outside. The chill air wrapped around her as if I was trying to draw her to the outskirts of town. She allowed it to brush futilely through her hair. Then she turned and went back inside.

When she got inside she notice one cheek was much cooler than the other. Her hand rested on that cheek and she heard Katara shift in her sleep.

"Ladies don't go kissing random men… Remember that Toph. That is why Lilly is in trouble now." Toph could recall her mother's voice warning her as a child. 'Random men… Mom would definitely think of Aang as a 'random man'.' Although Toph thought that she just smiled. Then she went to her own sleeping spot and dreamed dreams of badger-moles turning into ladies and kissing the wolf-bats who turned into men.

* * *

Hey, everyone! I told you I'd get this one out soon! And look I did! I love this chapter! It was so fun to write! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

A special thanks to all my reviewers, Annika-Kisha, firemaster298, Bambi428, and tmmdeathwish at DeviantART. Thanks so much. You folks are the reason this one is out so soon. =D Reviews are what make my day! Nothing is a shot of happiness like getting a review.

Thanks to everyone who read this chapter, I hope you read the next chapter.

Quick Fact: Most of this chapter was actually written before the one before it.

Goodbye. See you for the next chapter! =D


	18. I Have a Night Job

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Air-bender, the very talented team of Mike and Brain own the show and characters. The rating maybe wrong but I did try to get it right.

By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescentmoon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.

**Chapter Eighteen**

Three days later 'Jen's' heart still pounded with a new intensity whenever the Blue Spirit was brought up. A large part of her wondered what she had said to him just after kissing him, but she couldn't remember. All she remembered was that she had kissed a man whom she didn't even know anything about. She didn't even know if he were truly a spirit or not. It made her feel like kissing him was probably the wrong thing to do, yet, that kiss, she couldn't bring herself to regret it. Her lips tingled again as she walked beside 'Mai Ling' on their way to indulge in a cup of tea made by their favorite tea maker.

'I really need to stop thinking about that. It was a foolish little thing that I had to get out of my system, that's all.' Katara thought to herself. 'I'll be fine soon.'

They walked into the ruff and cracked little shop Iroh worked for.

Iroh spotted his beloved friends and smiled. It was always the highlight of the day to receive a visit from a friend. And today he needed that highlight. A few unsavory men had lost their jobs that day and were being vindictive in their requests. Added to that was that the tea shop was getting busier every day. On top of those problems was his nephew's escapades and his strange mood, he was brighter and mopier than normal, at the same time! He couldn't even escape from his nephew at work because he had been hired on temporally to ease Iroh's larger work load.

Iroh was almost temped to allow Zuko to serve the unsavory men and watch them flee his wrath, but he hoped that this might be Zuko's opportunity to jump back into honest work. He couldn't risk that by making the boss angry at Zuko.

So he was relieved when he saw 'Jen' and 'Mai Ling' enter the door. There was a breath of fresh air in seeing them if he'd ever had a breath of fresh air. He looked around for free seats and sighed. The only free seats were in Zuko's jurisdiction. He would have to abandon his post to talk to them unless they sought him out.

Table three was calling him again, demanding fresh rolls be made just for them, from scratch, and they had better be ready in five minutes. 'Impossible.' thought Iroh yet he said nothing. If he ignored them maybe they'd leave.

Iroh covertly watched as Zuko talked to his new costumers. 'Mai Ling' said something that caused Zuko and 'Jen' to blush. Zuko scurried away from the table to the counter. Iroh went on serving his costumers.

Toph pouted she had been so sure her question about how a lady goes about kissing would do more then just make them blush and drive Zuko away. She had hoped one of them would start to explain and set the other one off. This little plot had been to garner a fight. 'Drat it all!' thought 'Mai Ling'.

While Zuko was gone a young couple walked through the door. The young man was laughing at what he had said. The young woman smiled a fond, indulging smile but didn't laugh.

Toph was surprised to note that her companion's heart jumped and skittered happily at the sight of the two.

Katara jumped from her seat and ran to the door, drawing attention from everyone there. She flung her arms around the nineteen year old man and kissed his cheek. "It's so good to see you again Li!" she exclaimed.

"Katara?" the boy whispered lowly so no one else would hear. Li was shocked to see her. But he was happy too. Until he looked at his girlfriend's unhappy face.

She nodded. Then said to the nineteen year old woman at his side, "Hi! I'm Jen! And you are?"

The man cleared his throat and said, "Jen, this is my betrothed," he scrambled for a name, "Sapphire!" He looked very proud of himself.

"Hello Sapphire."

"Hi Jen."

'Jen' almost giggled at the jealousy in her tone.

Across the room at the girls' table Zuko asked, "Mai Ling who's that guy Jen is talking to? I haven't seen him around before."

"Oh, I'll just peek over my shoulder and spy on my cousin. When I see this guy I'm sure I can tell you who it is." She didn't move to do what she said she would. Zuko didn't get her sarcasm. So Toph spelled it out for him. "I'm blind Sparky-Pants."

Zuko shyly said, "Oh, yeah. I'm sorry, I forgot."

"Happens all the time."

"Really?" he asked a little hopeful that he wasn't the only one.

"No."

Zuko felt really stupid after that was said.

"Hey guys let me introduce you!" came 'Jin's' excited voice. "Li, this is our cousin Mai Ling, Mai Ling this is Li and Sapphire."

"Yo." 'Mai Ling' jerked her hand in a wave.

"Jen, don't forget your manners, who is this?" He glared at the server.

'Jen' groaned. "Li this is Zuko, he's a nephew of Iroh," she gestured to the large balding man at the door. "He's helping out here today."

Li took Zuko's hand in a firm shake while challenging the older man with his glare. Then he put his arm around 'Jen' and the other around 'Sapphire' and guided them into chairs at the table.

When Zuko left with an order for tea and sweet cakes to celebrate, 'Mai Ling' leaned over to 'Jen' and asked who the two really were.

"Li is my brother and Sapphire is his fiancé. I'll tell you more when we can talk in private." she whispered back. Noticing that 'Li' and 'Sapphire' were occupied with the sweet cakes Zuko had just dropped off 'Jen' continued, "Don't let them know about our little nighttime charade. At least not yet."

"What are you two whispering about?" 'Li' asked as he contently downed another sweet cake.

"Mai Ling just wanted to know more about you two and I was explaining to her that you're my brother and that I don't know much about your bride-to-be." answered 'Jen'.

After learning that she was his sister 'Sapphire' relaxed in her seat and reached for her own sweet cake. Soon everyone was eating one. "Jen?" she asked after swallowing her current bite.

"Yes?"

"We will need a place to stay the night. Would it be alright if we bunked at your place?"

'Mai Ling' and 'Jen' looked at each other, even though that act was useless for 'Mai Ling'. "Well, you see," began 'Jen', "Our place is small and run down..."

"That's okay." 'Sapphire' assured.

'Mai Ling' supplied the next deterrent. "Don't forget stinky, very, very stinky."

The other girl said, "I'm sure it's not that bad."

"It sounds like you don't want us there." 'Li' said. If he wasn't eating he'd probably be suspicious.

"It's not that Li!" burst 'Jen'.

"I'm sure we can make do." insisted 'Sapphire'.

'Jen' sighed in defeat. "Allow us to go back and clean up first. We'll find you when we're done."

"How?" inquired 'Li' around the food in his full mouth.

"We have our ways." 'Mai ling' said mysteriously.

Li just nodded entranced by the food and the mystery.

'Mai Ling' and 'Jen' left the building after 'Jen' generously paid the whole bill. Truly it was out of Toph's earnings of the day. They rushed home so the two inside wouldn't have the chance to follow.

"We can't do anything about where we live but we can hide the things from our escapades." said Katara as they ran through the side and back roads.

"Where?" asked Toph although she was certain of the answer.

"It will have to be underground."

"We probably shouldn't tell them I can bend." Toph said.

Katara agreed.

"We'll need a story for where you go at night as well." the earth-bender pointed out.

"I have a night job." Katara said simply. "But what requires work at night?" They were in their neighborhood and so had slowed down.

"A barmaid!"

"Oh-no my brother would kill me."

"That's probably the most socially acceptable job for a young woman at night." Toph explained as they walked into their apartment.

"What about an entertainer? They often have night shows."

"Young single women don't work respectably in the entertainment industry, at night it's even more… unrespectable. Unless you think your brother would be pleased to have you work as a dancer or singer in a bar or nightclub, and that would be the best of it. Plus, if you were to say you have a respectable night entertainer's job in a theater he'd want to come see your show. Something you wouldn't really have. Ladies rarely work at night."

"Wait I have it, a night guard."

"A night guard?" Toph was about to shoot the idea down when Katara asked her to think about it. As they headed to the hole in the flooring with the first load, the paintings and Katara's uniform, the Blind Bandit asked, "What would you be protecting that someone would hire a woman to protect?"

Katara thought for a moment. For a few minutes the tunnel Toph was leading them down was quiet except for the scuffing of their feet on the earthen floor. Then she had her answer, "A girl or a woman, maybe a future bride or a wife or daughter of some rich somebody."

Toph stopped. "That's actually not a bad idea. Then when you're out of sight I could earth-bend you down into a cavern where your Painted Lady clothes are and you could still do your real job without making your brother any wiser."

Katara chuckled, "His head's so thick you could come out and tell him some things and he still wouldn't understand."

Toph laughed with her.

They quickly set up their secret base, filling it with the clothes and paintings they brought. The following trip they brought the tubs of Katara's smelly paint. They only left a small amount at the house to account for the smell and also for an emergency. Katara would pretend tonight was her night off and get some lanterns for her 'secret base' the next day.

Next they went back to their rundown apartment. Then 'Jen' sent 'Mai Ling' out to find her brother and his fiancé.

'Li' was walking down the road, bragging of course. "I tell you Suki, my tracking prowess is immense! We will be reunited with my sister in a moment!"

Suki rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, 'Li'."

"Hey you lost or somethin'?" 'Mai Ling' called from behind them. She was leaning against someone's parked cart. "'Cause you're going the wrong way."

"I knew that! I was... trying to see if Suki would pick up on it."

"Sure you were." scoffed the blind girl. "Now if you'll follow me, Jen is making supper."

"Great! I'm starved!"

Suki eyed 'Li'. "How can you be hungry, you just ate more then a horse?"

"Yeah, but that wasn't meat."

His girlfriend didn't know whether to laugh or slap her forehead.

'Mai Ling' laughed loudly. "Sounds like you and I will get along just fine."

* * *

Hi everyone! I know it has been a long time since I last updated. I'm sorry. I'll try to be better. And all that wait for a chapter the feels like a filler. Sorry again! But I've been trying to get so much done with the computer and most of the time I'm either babysitting (Not a good idea to write while doing that.) or it's late (Mostly this one, I usually don't have access to the computer unless it's after 9:30-10:00. I hope this will change soon.). I have written yesterday and today so hopefully I will get back into being able to write more often.

A Special Thank You to All my Reviewers: At fanfiction()net; Rhiannan365, and The Girl Wit The Dragon Tattoo, and from deviantART()com; tmmdeathwish, Curmudgeonduo, and Bambi428.

Thank you all for reading. I'll Write again soon.


End file.
